Safekeeping
by Mana Midnight
Summary: Instead of Draco killing Dumbledore he stunned Snape and turned to the light. Now with a bounty on his head, Dumbledore takes Draco to the one place he would be safe. With Harry Potter at the Dursley's. DMHP Sequel up
1. One: First Night

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Rating: PG-13 for now, rating will go up

Genre: Action-Adventure/Romance

Pairings: DM/HPRW/HGGW/?

Warnings: Major Depression, Mentions of Self Mutilation/Self Injury/Attempted Suicide

Summary: What if instead of Draco killing Dumbledore, he had turned around and _Stupified_ the Death Eaters and Fenrir Greyback? Voldemort puts a bounty on his head, duh! Dumbledore decides, all for his safety, to have him spend the summer where he would be the most protected. With Harry Potter at the Dursley's, of course!

_**Chapter 1**_

_**First Night**_

_"No Draco," said Dumbledore quietly,"It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now."_

_Malfoy did not speak. His mouth was open, his wand hand still trembling. Harry thought he saw it drop by a fraction-_

_But suddenly footsteps were thundering up the stairs, and a second later Draco turned around and cast the _Stupifying_ charm three times. Three bodies fell to the ground. He turned back towards Dumbledore, looking sickly pale._

_"You better keep your word. _Accio Dumbledore's wand_!" A length of wood flew back over the ramparts and into his hand. He tossed it back to it's owner, and turned back towards the stairs, _Stupifying_ Professor Snape as he came through the door._

Harry was pulled put of his reverie by his aunt, calling him in a high pitched voice to make lunch. He thought about refusing, but when his uncle started yelling at him to obey Petunia, he set down the duster he was using, and walked into the kitchen, remembering the last time he had done just that. Sighing deeply, Harry opened the fridge and started grabbing things for a fruit salad, Dudley was on another diet doomed to fail. He was putting the bowl filled with cantaloupe, grapes, and several other fruits when his mind turned to the owl he had received from Dumbledore, saying to expect him at half-past noon. He hadn't told the Dursley's, because there had been no reason given. Something told Harry that he wasn't coming to save him. Sighing again, he was about to call them when a massive blimp blocked the doorway.

"Harry." It purred, or tried to.

"Dudley." Harry surpressed a shudder. Over the past year, his cousin had discovered he liked guys, and that Harry was his personal toy. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape.

"Don't feel so brave without your wand?" He stepped closer to Harry, and he backed up a step, anger flooding him as he remembered what had happened. He had barely stepped foot into the house, when his uncle had demanded that he promise he would not use his so called 'stick'. He had refused at first, but his uncle had persuaded him to. So now his wand was up in his room, until he turned of age, and left the place.

The fear of Dudley only fueled his anger. But it was well hidden under a stoic mask. Harry heard the clock in the hall chime half past noon, and the doorbell rang. He was so relieved that he pushed right past his cousin, shivering in disgust when a hand brushed his butt.

"BOY!! GET THE DOOR!!!!" Uncle Vernon yelled from wherever he was in the house, but there was no need, Harry was already unlocking and opening it. The sight that met his eyes had his mask in place firmly.

"Harry? Who is it?" Aunt Petunia's nasally voice reached his ears, and he involuntarily flinched when he heard his uncle coming.

"Well boy? Who is it?" He finally stood behind Harry, "Oh, it's you."

"Good Evening Mr. Dursley, Harry. I am afraid I must impose on your hospitality once again." Dumbledore looked at Harry, his good hand resting on the shoulder of a blonde youth almost the HeadMaster's height.

"Come in if you must." Vernon said in a rather resigned voice and moved back to the family room where Petunia was.

Harry stepped out of the way, and as the taller boy passed, he was sneered at. The eyes were hard as ice as they looked into his equally cold ones. The moment was broken when he walked past, and the dark haired boy turned and locked the door. He took his sweet time getting to the family room, as he tried to block the image of perfect abs under a pure white silk shirt. It was proving impossible. Harry finally entered the room and sat down in an armchair, seeing as how the couch was full, and there was no way he was going to even think about sitting near the pureblood wizard.

"What do you and your freak school want now?" Uncle Vernon asked gruffly, wanting the old man and his blackened hand, and the teen sitting with him, who radiated arrogance, to just leave.

"Mr. Dursley, do you remember what I told you and Mrs. Dursley when I retrieved Harry last year?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as merrily as usual.

"Of course!" Aunt Petunia broke in, wanting all three out of her house.

"That protection can be doubled. But for a price." He looked between them both, before turning to look at Harry, who appeared to be unemotional.

"How? Does that mean my Duddikins will be safe?" She looked at him, her horsey-face carrying worry in it's lines.

'Anything for their Dudders,' snarled Harry in his head, but no trace of it showed past the carefully erected mask.

"Yes." Dumbledore smiled benignly.

"How?" His uncle sounded suspicious, but willing to consider the idea.

"By taking care of Harry's classmate for the summer." His hand rested on one thin shoulder.

"HARRY!!!!" Said boy could feel the house shake as his cousin called him. For a split second his face shone with fear as he flinched, but it was shuttered in before anyone saw it. Harry stood up and was leaving the room when Dumbledore called him.

"Harry. I know you and Mr. Malfoy here are not the best of friends, but please get along for the summer," His face was serious, but his eyes still twinkled. He turned to Malfoy, "Go ahead with Harry." He nodded and stood up, moving to follow the smaller boy.

He was only a step behind Harry as they walked down the short hall into the kitchen. Something was differant about him. It might just be him, but Draco decided that there was something very differant about the Boy-Who-Lived. He smirked again, maybe this summer wouldn't be too bad. As a Slytherin, he liked puzzles, and loved trying to figure them out.

His eyes slid down Harry's body, decidedly not liking the overly baggy clothes. Draco frowned, wondering where the thought had come from. After a millisecond of probing his mind, he chalked it up to being completely out-of-style, compared to his tastes. The boy in front of him opened a door, and his jaw nearly fell, but thanks to the Malfoy training, he was able to keep it down to a grimace when he saw how morbidly obese the other boy was. Draco could feel Harry tense slightly as a strange look appeared on the fat one's face.

"Harry, you know you can't have friends." Dudley smirked, and Harry felt a shudder go down his spine at the way his cousin looked at him.

"We're not friends. What did you want?" He stepped further into the room and Malfoy leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed.

"I wanted you to make me lunch." Dudley grinned maliciously.

"I did." He pointed towards the still full bowl on the table.

"But I don't want that!" He pouted, and Harry shuddered even more at the disgusting sight.

"I'm going on your parents orders." That caught him, and he frowned, before looking at the blonde.

"Who's he?" Dudley asked rudely, looking at the blonde, who was wearing a white shirt, slightly see through, and tight black pants. His shoes were made of leather, and his belt was a similar material, out of the top of that a wand could be seen. Harry sighed at his cousin's leer.

"Draco Malfoy, Dudley Dursley. Dudley Dursley, Draco Malfoy. Now let's go." Without thinking he pulled the Malfoy by the hand and out the door into the hall, just in time to see Dumbledore step out of the family room.

"Well, I must be off. Keep in touch with me." He turned and said goodbye to Vernon and Petunia, before walking out the door. Harry's uncle turned and looked at them, sneering in an ugly way.

"He stays with you in your room boy. Show him where it is, then bring him down for lunch." Harry nodded and headed towards the staircase, he had dropped his hand as if it had burned, when his aunt stopped him.

"Are you keeping to Dudder's diet?"

"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry rolled his eyes behind their backs, and gestured for the other boy to follow him up the stairs, to a cramped room, with a single bed in the corner, and an empty owl cage on the desk. The barred window, or the multiple locks(as if to lock someone in, opposed to out), or the cat door, did not escape his notice.

"Small." The single word fell from his lips in an attempt to start a fight. He wanted to see the Harry from school, not this meek boy who didn't raise his voice.

"You can take the bed," He didn't seem to hear what Malfoy had said, "I'll take you to the kitchen so you can eat."

"What about you?" The Malfoy sneered at the smaller boy.

"I already ate. I have chores to do." Harry's cheeks turned a very light shade of pink, and he led the other boy back to the kitchen, where the Dursley's were already eating, and walked into the backyard.

He didn't bother to take off his shirt like he usually did, but just kneeled in the flowerbed and started weeding.

Back inside, Draco sat in an awkward silence, to the Dursley's at least. If this was how it was everyday, he could understand why Harry ate before everyone else. He considered just taking his bowl to join him outside, when a thought occured to him. The pieces of the puzzle sat in front of him, it was time to start putting them together.

"So you're Potter's only family." They looked at him as if he had grown another head, or wings maybe.

"Yes." The fat father(Vernon was it?) spoke gruffly.

That was the only thing he could get out of them for ten minutes. When he saw that they were almost done, he stood up and went to the bedroom.

It was several hours later, after Harry had headed in so he could clean up before making dinner, that they saw each other. Draco was sprawled across the bed in their room, looking at the cracks in the ceiling when Harry walked in. Some thing stirred in the pit of his stomach when the black haired boy opened his mouth and spoke.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Well-done steak and salad. With water. Since I doubt you muggles know what sophisticated champaigne is." His eyes never left the ceiling, but he heard Harry close the door behind him. There was no verbal retaliation, and that annoyed him to no end. Here he was, trying to stave off boredom, and Potter would not do what he wanted him to. And what he wanted right now was a good row.

Suddenly filled with anger, he hopped off the bed and out the door into the hall. He ignored the pictures of fat boy as he grew up that hung along the walls. He passed the same boy's bedroom, the door cracked open, and paused when he heard a strange noise. It disappeared after a second so he ignored it and continued to the stairs, and down. The family room was occupied, the two adults watching the strange box that had moving pictures. Disregarding them as well, Draco walked right into the kitchen, and saw Harry flinch slightly, and turn around to look at the source of the noise in slight fear. Fear that Draco was sure he would not of caught if he wasn't a Malfoy, and a Slytherin at that.

"What's wrong with you Potter?" He sat down in a chair, leaning it onto the back legs, crossing his arms.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry turned his back to him, busy cutting up meat.

"Don't you have House Elves?" Draco asked in return, watching in carefully veiled interest as the other boy deftly cut. He had never seen anyone cook before.

"My aunt and uncle don't like magic," He said that with great reluctance, not wanting the former Death Eater to know what it was like for him, "What do you want?"

"There's nothing to do here." He whined petulantly.

"You could help me." Harry threw right back at him, not liking the fact that he was in here to begin with.

"No. That's your job." Draco pushed down the urge to get up and do just that.

"How do you like your steak, beside's well-done." He went to open a cabinet filled with spices, knowing exactly what which one did.

"Surprise me." Draco leaned back, drawing his wand and summoning a goblet of butterbeer. He had come of age not long after that whole stunt he had pulled at the end of last year.

Potter was talkative when irritated, that much he knew. Maybe agravating him some more would get him a piece of the puzzle. Sipping , he contemplated the other boy, trying to figure out which way would be best to get under his skin.

"Have it your way. Just don't complain if you don't like it." He grabbed what looked to Draco like random jars. Harry didn't measure when he put them on, and then put the steak in a big box that gave off tremendous heat.

"No wonder you suck at Potions Potter." Draco said, watching while he grabbed a cucumber, a tomatoe, and a brick of cheese out of the fridge, before sitting at the table with a knife, a cutting board, and a bowl filled with lettuce at hand.

"Different principle." Harry snapped out, grabbing the knife and peeling the cucumber briskly.

"How so? You put ingredients together and you get a specific result." Draco said it as if explaining it to a little kid, and he knew he was acheiving his goal when a twitching occured in one of the other's eyes.

"You know what Malfoy, you're always right, so I'll drop the subject." Harry said sarcastically, chopping the poor vegetable in half a little viciously.

"You're not as stupid as you look." He smirked.

Harry tried to calm down, he really did. But Malfoy sitting across from him, purposely trying to antagonize him, was not helping matters much. He slowed down cutting, and forced his breathing to go at the same pace, until he had regained some of his composure. By the time he was able to breathe normally, he had finished the salad, and it was time to turn the steak. After putting the bowl in the fridge, he grabbed a pot holder and opened the broiler, getting a blast of warm air in his face as he did so. Using the fork he had in one hand, he turned it, and quickly closed the door. He sat back at the table reaching for a glass of water that he had put there earlier. Forgetting who was sitting across from him, Harry yawned and rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"Tired Potty?"

"Leave me alone Malfoy." He glared at said boy, who was smirking. Doing a much better job at it then Dudley, Harry noticed.

"Why?" It was amazing how insulting the blonde could be when saying a single word.

"Nevermind." Harry sighed and looked at a clock. Standing up, he grabbed the jars of spices and opened the broiler again, seasoning the steak. Reaching for a potholder, he pulled out a tray of chicken breasts. They were all tiny, and fat free, and posed no challenge to the cooking skills Harry had gained over the years. Malfoy's steak did though, and he checked on it while he could.

He nodded to himself. Another few minutes, and he would get his well-done steak. Harry was aware that the grey eyed boy was watching him, but it didn't bother him. Not like it would of if it was his cousin. He was barely able to surpress a shudder, and a thought entered his head, one that made him think, and hope. Would Dudley leave him alone while the other teen was here?

"You better not of burned my food Potter." Harry turned to the voice, standing up in the process.

"Don't worry. I may not of cooked steak in a while, but I know better than to burn it." He closed it, and leaned against a counter, taking off his glasses to clean them with the hem of the shirt he wore.

"Whatever." Draco closed his eyes and sipped at his goblet.

They were quiet for a while. Both lost in their own thoughts. After a few more minutes, Harry pulled out the steak, setting it on the stovetop. Taking a deep breath, he decided that it was done. He was starting to set the table when Dudley came in.

"Oh, Harry." He tried that purr again, and Harry shuddered, not able to reign in the fear on his face for almost a full minute. He was facing Malfoy, looking at the table, but he was pretty sure he hid it quickly enough. The blonde saw it, the way that Harry had stopped moving when his cousin came in, and how afraid he was. And how quickly he put it behind a facade. This was becoming an interesting puzzle, Draco decided.

"What do you want Dudley?" Harry continued to put out the silverware. Fear was curled up in the pit of his stomach, but he was not paying it any heed.

"You know what I want." He tried to smirk, and even Draco looked disgusted at the sight.

"Dinner will be done in a few minutes. Go ahead and tell your mom and dad," He made sure his voice was unemotional as he started to put the chicken on the plates. He looked at Draco after Dudley had left, "Do you still want water, or do you want to keep your goblet?"

"I'll keep my goblet. Butterbeer is better then water." He took a gulp to emphasize his point, before refilling it.

"Alright." Harry had given everyone salad, and had started setting out people's choice of drinks. A bottle of Guiness for his uncle, a glass of red wine for his aunt, a highly caffeinated drink for his cousin, and a glass of water for himself. They wouldn't let him have any hot chocolate, and he needed chocolate.

Harry had just finished setting everything up when they came in. They sat in their places, and Draco smirked when he saw that they were giving him very wary looks. Setting his goblet down, he started to cut his steak. Putting a piece in his mouth, flavor danced on his taste buds. Sweet and spicy was intermixed, and created a delicious entanglement. He glanced at Harry, and saw him smile when he took another bite.

"How come he gets something different?!" Dudley busted out, pointing at Draco.

"Yes, boy. How come?" Uncle Vernon looked at the 'boy'.

Draco raised an eyebrow, awaiting Harry's response.

"Uncle Vernon, Mr. Malfoy is of age," He looked at them innocently, deciding for a little revenge for what they had done to him, "That means he could use magic and get away with it. And this is how we are at school."

His relatives blanched. Before Uncle Vernon started to turn purple in righteous anger. Well, to him it was righteous. Draco quickly caught on to what Harry was doing, and smirked. This looked like it could be fun.

"I don't care! This is my house!" He stood up.

"Muggles. Always the same," He said calmly, looking at Harry and winking, "You see, Potter here is just going on my orders."

"You boss him around at school?!" Dudley busted out again, and Vernon looked a little calmer. Well, if his school life was like it was at home, so be it.

"Yes," He leaned forward and patted Harry on the head, "You did a good job puppy. The steak is delicious."

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy." He pretended to be hiding his anger, but he really wanted to laugh at the expression on their faces.

"As long as it doesn't interfere with his chores..." Vernon trailed off.

"Don't worry, it won't Uncle Vernon." Harry looked at his uncle like he was his saviour.

"Who knows, it just might." Draco leered at Harry, who pretended to be disgusted, but trying to hide it and his anger.

"Of course Mr. Malfoy." Dudley looked like he was ready to kill something, and he was watching his cousin.

Vernon and Petunia's faces looked slightly green around the edges, but kept from opening their mouths. Draco looked between Harry and Dudley, and decided it was in his best interests to get out of there. He stood up and looked at the smaller boy like he would a House Elf.

"I'm tired of all these muggles. Carry our food to our room." He walked out the door, and waited on the other side. He heard Harry apologize to his relatives, and pick up their plates. Draco sipped from the goblet he had carried with him, smirking.

This summer vacation wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. Two: Freaking Out the Dursleys

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Rating: PG-13 for now, rating will go up

Genre: Action-Adventure/Romance

Pairings: DM/HPRW/HGGW/?

Summary: What if instead of Draco killing Dumbledore, he had turned around and _Stupified_ the Death Eaters and Fenrir Greyback? Voldemort puts a bounty on his head, duh! Dumbledore decides, all for his safety, to have him spend the summer where he would be the most protected. With Harry Potter at the Dursley's, of course!

A/N: From now on, there will be major depression, and mentions of Self Mutilation/Self Injury/Attempted suicide. They will start of mild, gradually getting more prominent in the plot of the story. This may be a sore subject for some. It is for me as well.

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Freaking out the Dursley's**_

Two weeks had passed since Malfoy had arrived at the Dursley's. Everything was going wonderfully. To Harry at least. He was able to get out of doing his chores at random times of day, because the blonde would require his attention. Usually it was something small, something that he could of done with magic, like getting him something to drink, or bringing him something from their room. Every now and then, he would get the urge to freak out the muggles, and he would get Harry to give him a massage, which he loved, and he had no problem vocalizing that. Overall, they were both enjoying the act.

That was how one day dawned. Harry was downstairs, getting ready to make breakfast, when the blonde called him to their room. For the benefit of Dudley, who was sitting at the table, terrorizing him, he let fear flash across his face. Setting the egg he had been about to crack down, he walked out of the room, and up the stairs. He passed his Aunt Petunia, who looked at him a little worried. Over the past week, Draco had pretended to hit Harry. He looked at his aunt, and gestured to the kitchen.

"I don't know how long this will take Aunt Petunia. So I'm sorry if breakfast is a little late." He turned towards his door.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it." She held her head up high and walked down the steps, unaware of the amazed look that Harry sent her, before opening his door and walking inside.

Malfoy was sitting up on the bed, the blanket drapped around his waist. Harry blushed and looked away, moving towards the closet that housed all of the expensive clothes. Opening it, he tried to decide how he wanted to mess with his relatives minds today, when the silky voice of the Malfoy heir stopped him.

"I have a plan." A shivering sped down Harry's spine, he ignored it, and reached for a blood red blouse, and a white shirt to go under it.

"What type of plan Malfoy?" He set them on the bed and went to choose which pants would complete the ensemble.

"Do you want to gross them out?" Malfoy leaned back against the wall.

"Yes," Harry chose a pair of black pants, the cloth smooth to the touch. He set it down on the bed, and sat at the desk, back to the room. Malfoy slept in his silk boxers, as Harry had found out fairly quickly, "What do you want to do?"

"I'm not going to tell you." He could hear the sound of cloth rustling as the taller boy got dressed.

"Why not?"

"Your reaction has to be normal." Malfoy grabbed the brush from beside Harry, who had turned back around.

"As normal as can be when I know something weird is about to happen?" He raised an eyebrow, not much emotion showing on his face.

"Exactly." He smirked, and sat back down on the bed to pull on his shoes. Harry looked at the clock by his elbow.

"We have a while. My aunt decided to pity me again this morning and make breakfast." Malfoy grunted at him.

"You're making mine."

"What do you want?"

"The regular." He brushed his shoulder length hair.

"Alright."

Last week, his aunt had pitied him at dinner, after one bite Malfoy had thrown out the food, and then made his 'servant' cook him something else. He said that the taste was despicable. That was the excuse he used anyway. Over the past two weeks, he had somehow become addicted to Harry's food, and it was an addiction he did not want to break.

He watched as Harry closed his eyes and leaned back. His eyes narrowed as a glitch to their plan came in. If Potter was sick, it could make Draco sick, and then where would they be?

"What's wrong with you Potter?"

"Hm? Oh, I haven't been getting much sleep. That's all." The thought of one of his nightmares plaguing him while Malfoy was here, was not his idea of fun.

"Why?" Maybe with Harry half asleep, he would be able to get more pieces of the puzzle.

"Between the Dursley's and you, I end up staying awake half the night." It was only a half truth, but Harry still felt bad about it.

"Alright."

They fell silent. Draco picked up the _Daily Prophet_ that Hedwig, Potter's white owl, had delivered earlier, and read the front page. Nothing very informative. There was squat on Voldemort's whereabouts, but plenty of speculation. After thirty minutes of reading the nonsense, he threw it onto the foot of the bed. Standing up, he opened his mouth to say something rude to his current roommate, but he stopped, and shut his mouth.

Potter had fallen asleep, his head was nestled in the crook of his arm on the desk. His glasses had fallen off, and lay by his nose. The wild black hair looked amazingly silky, and Draco's fingers twitched as he stomped down the urge to run his hand through the strands. Potter was his amusement for the summer vacation, nothing more. He had presented the Slytherin with a puzzle, and that was all there was to it.

But he could still think that the Gryffindor was adorable, right?

Reaching down, Draco put one hand on a thin shoulder and shook him lightly, ignoring the tingling that sped down his spine at the contact.

"Potter. Wake up, you have to make me breakfast." He made sure his voice was cold as the other boy slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes and reaching for his glasses, yawning the whole time.

Damn, he was cute.

"Yea, yea. Gimme a minute." Standing up, he stretched, and Draco could almost see the muscles that he knew where there, follow the motion.

"Well hurry up. I'm hungry." He stood by the door, arms crossed as he looked at the other boy haughtily.

"Fine."

Harry walked past him and out the door, Draco not much further then two steps behind him. They walked into the kitchen to see the Dursley's had left a huge mess for the darkhaired boy. He just sighed at their typical behavior. Grabbing a clean skillet, he set to work making his houseguest's breakfast. It was done fairly quickly, but by the time he put the plate of food down in front of Draco, he was about ready to hit him with it instead.

"There." He started stacking the dirty dishes to take to the sink so he could soak them, along with the used skillets still on the stove. He just got a grunt from the blonde in thanks, he was not much of a morning person.

While he waited for the other boy to finish, Harry put away the clean dishes from last night. What was Malfoy planning that would require his natural reaction? He nearly dropped the plate he was holding as a tiny voice in his head suggested snogging. A bright blush spread across his face as the plate made it to it's place in the cabinet safely.

Okay, he could admit that Malfoy was attractive.

Scratch that, he was damn sexy. Especially first thing in the morning. That didn't mean that he secretly liked him! Or wanted him to snog, or even shag him! Nope, not at all.

His exhaustion was catching up to him. He was imagining things. He did not like Malfoy, he did not think he was hott in any way.

"I'm finished." The silky smooth voice sent shivers down Harry's spine, and he had to go with his first conclusion.

Draco Malfoy was more then enough to entice drools from anyone, and Harry was not immune in the least.

He picked up the plate and put it in the sink, grabbing a washcloth to wipe down the counters, stove and table. He knew the blonde was watching him, that made him blush madly, and his actions became rushed. Putting the rag back where it went, he put his hands in the soapy water and sighed happily, the blood leaving his face. He had pushed his sleeves up to his elbows, but did his best not to look at his bare arms. Harry started humming to himself, not really caring if Malfoy heard his horrible voice. The grey-eyed teen could very well find something else to harrass him about.

Don't get him wrong, Harry loved being able get out of his detested chores. And reminding the Dursley's that they didn't own him was an added bonus. He just didn't think that the Malfoy heir would take it so seriously. But then again, he was probably used to getting whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. So, what Harry was doing was essentially defusing a bomb before it could be built.

The thought of comparing the Slytherin to a bomb had a smile spread across his face. It was true though, Malfoy's ill temper was legendary in the school, just like Harry's patience to everyone but that same person. But that was what Harry found cute about him.

He dropped a knife back into the warm water, the blush coming back full force. He did not think that Malfoy was cute in any way. He could admit that he thought he looked like a sex god, but to find anything more intimate or endearing was strictly forbidden. Outlawed, banned, prohibited, and any other word that meant the same thing.

Shaking his head violently, he picked the knife back up and continued cleaning the dishes. Just to drop it again when his owl soared through the window and landed on the table in front of the other boy.

Things were not going his way today.

Hedwig hooted and stuck her leg out to the blonde, who gave her a bit of the bacon he had been delicately nibbling on. Untieing the ribbon securing it, he read who it was addressed to out loud.

"To Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, From Albus Dumbledore." Harry had turned back around to the dishes, relieved when Hedwig flew back out the window.

"Go ahead and read it out loud." He set the knife that had fallen back into the water twice, on top of the pile of dishes that were waiting to be rinsed.

"Dear Boys," Malfoy began, his voice sending jolts down Harry's spine, "I hope you two have not killed each other yet. I am writing this to ask after your welfare. And to give you a few alternatives for when Harry turns seventeen. You two can leave then, even though I hope you both refrain from doing so. Now, I am sure Mr. Malfoy is reading this aloud to both of you, so I shall keep my comments to you censored. Harry, I am sure you have not yet gotten over what had happened last year and the years before, and that you are suffering from them. Sometimes it really does help to tell other people. The blood that others spilled for you, does not mean you must repay them with your own."

Harry had stopped moving, and Draco looked at him, setting the letter down. He thought he saw the other boy tremble for a minute, but it passed when he started cleaning the dishes again. He was acting like what their headmaster had said did not bother him in the least.

"You can keep going Malfoy." Harry said coldly, moving so he could rinse the soapy water off of them. Draco picked the letter back up, pushing the new information into a corner of his mind for him to go over later.

"Now for you Draco, I am sure that staying with Harry's family has made you realize certain things, about yourself and the people around you. Just remember that you can't always judge a book by it's cover, and sometimes situations are worse then they seem at first glance. Feel free to go to any of the Malfoy Manors, or the Burrow, just please inform me when you do," He set the letter back down and leaned his chair onto the two rear legs, "It's just his name after that."

"Hm." Harry was preoccupied. Did Dumbledore know? How could he? Had he told anyone? Harry hoped not. He put the last dish onto the drying rack and stepped back. He dried his hands before viciously pulling his sleeves back down.

"What does he mean by 'the blood others spilled for you, does not mean you must repay them with your own'?" Malfoy's question broke through Harry's thoughts and his muscles tensed.

"I don't know." He knew Malfoy knew he was lying, but he was saved from an accusation when Dudley busted through the door.

"Harry!"

"What Dudley?" He looked at his cousin, his already stiff muscles becoming painfully taut.

"I want a massage!"

"No." He turned away from both boys in the room, looking through the fridge and trying to decide what he would make for lunch.

"But you gave one to Draco!" He had stopped calling him a prat or a prick after he had been stuck upside down for almost ten minutes.

"That's because Mr. Malfoy is a pureblood wizard, you are not." Making up his mind on sandwhiches, he closed the refridgerator and started towards the back door so he could get some yardwork done before lunch. That way he could spend the hotter hours in the house.

"I'm your cousin." He pointed one pudgy finger at his chest.

Harry ignored him and turned the knob, pulling the door open. The idea of giving him a massage was absolutely disgusting. And it might of been his imagination, but he could of sworn he heard Malfoy growl when his cousin had come in and said that.

"Harry." The silky voice had him stopping in his tracks. Malfoy had called him by his first name, and it sounded so right to Harry. He felt a heat pool in his lower abdomen, and he turned to face the room slowly.

"Yes Mr. Malfoy?" He made sure his voice was devoid of emotions as he closed the door behind him.

"I decided I want another massage. Now."

"Alright."

Harry stepped up behind him, and gently laid his hands on the muscular shoulders. He ignored the tingling that raced up his arms and down to his abdomen as he started to squeeze and rub the tense muscles. Harry heard Malfoy sigh, and saw Dudley glaring in their direction. His thoughts immediately headed to the gutter when the boy below him moaned and slid down in his seat a few inches. He blushed, and scowled darkly, not having to pretend on the first, but he had to hide the pleasure he felt when Malfoy had vocalized his own. After a few more minutes, Harry stepped back, and headed out the back door without a second glance.

He hid in the flower garden again. Weeding vigoriously as he tried to keep his mind from taking up residency the rather cushy and suprisingly comforting gutter. He scratched his hands multiple times on the rose bushes, but that did not solve the problem in the least. If anything, it worsened it, because now his hands stung. Harry didn't know what Malfoy was doing inside, and he didn't really care. He wanted to be as far from him as possible.

But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Finally around eleven thirty he went inside to wash his hands, and put some antiseptic on the cuts. He didn't even make it three steps in the door when Malfoy's voice stopped him.

"What happened to your hands Potter?" He had not moved since Harry had gone outside, but had watched him through the window. He had seen every flinch when his palm would scrape across a thorn, or the back of his hand find it's way under one.

"Thorns." Harry stepped to the kitchen sink, and turned on the water, wincing when it hit the scratches.

"Come here." Malfoy pulled out his wand, and gestured to Harry to go to him.

"What?" He looked at the blonde, startled.

"I said come here," He watched in mild amusement as Harry shut off the water and went to stand in front of him, "Now let me see your hands."

"Why?" Harry hid his hands behind his back like a little child.

"Don't make me force you under the _Imperius_ curse!" He pointed his wand at the other's little nose, and Harry pulled his hands out from behind his back.

Quickly, Draco healed the multitude of scratches there. He spotted one that headed up the other's arm, and he was about to pull the sleeve up so he could get that one too, when Harry snatched his hands back, wincing at the sudden movement, and stepped away. He muttered a thank you, and went to finish washing his hands before making the sandwhiches.

"What do you want for lunch Malfoy?"

Draco had a difficult time biting back the response he had on the tip of his tongue. Instead of saying 'you', like he wanted to, he said he had a craving for a muffin. An english muffin. He smirked, thinking that Harry would turn around and tell him to pick something else, instead he opened the fridge and grabbed a couple of premade ones.

"I don't want storebought muffins Potter!" Draco said indignantly.

"I made these a few days ago Malfoy. I just need to reheat them."

"Just hurry up." By now, Draco would willingly eat anything Harry made. The boy was a friggin genius in the kitchen.

"Of course Malfoy." He said calmly, even though he was shaking like a leaf on the inside.

Dudley and his Aunt Petunia came in, and he sat their food in front of them, immediately leaving the room.

Draco and Harry didn't speak until much later. Harry had walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner, and asked the other boy what he wanted for dinner(salmon with lemon flavoring, and french fries). Draco watched the dark haired boy put enough spice on all of the food, without using any sort of measuring instruments. He was strangely content doing that, and it freaked Draco out a little.

"Remember what I said this morning." He smirked, imagining exactly what he was going to do.

"I remember Malfoy. Don't worry. I have no idea what it is, so you'll get my natural reaction." Harry slid the salmon onto a plate, and put it aside until the french fries were done, but those would take a while longer.

"Good." Malfoy purred, and Harry had to keep from gasping as he did a whole lot better at it then Dudley did.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Harry put the Dursley's and his food on the table. They were having simple salads, and Harry was sure he would not touch much of his. The main reason his cousin's diets failed was because his aunt and uncle usually made Harry give him his food. It had happened several times over the past two weeks, and he remembered a rather scathing remark Malfoy made about going through with something until it was accomplished.

"What did Dumbledore mean by what he said Potter?" Draco watched as Harry tensed, and knew that it was something important.

"I don't know." He said it with a forced calm, and the Malfoy heir realized he held a fairly important part of the puzzle, if only he could figure out what it meant. Maybe owling Potter's friends would yield some information. It was the getting the information part that would prove to be hard.

Finally, Harry sat his food in front of him, and called the Dursley's in. Draco didn't even wait to dig in to the enticing food sitting in front of him. As usual, the flavors molded together, and danced on his tongue, and Draco smiled contently. Harry saw the smile, and a blush spread across his cheekbones. Malfoy looked positively yummy when he smiled, but Harry was not going to admit it. Not to himself or anyone else.

Dinner seemed to take forever. No one said a word. After what seemed like an eternity, Harry grabbed the empty plates and turned to go to the sink. The Dursley's were sitting at the table, waiting for dessert. He didn't know that Draco had gotten up and followed him, until he was spun around and pushed against the counter. Harry blushed wildly, and looked up at the taller blonde. It might of only looked like a head's height difference, but right now it seemed to be so much more. He was aware of strong arms on either side of him, and the way his own hands had automatically curled up on the other's chest.

"M-Malfoy?" He squeeked out in surprise, and he lifted his eyes to meet the other's. Arrogant grey met the slightly fearful emerald ones hidden behind a pair of glasses.

"Kiss me." He said it loud enough for Harry's already surprised relatives to hear.

"B-But..." He stuttered.

"Be a good boy and kiss me." He said it as arrogantly as he looked, but there must of been a hint of something else, because Harry leaned up and pressed his lips to Draco's. After a few seconds, he started to pull back and say something, but Draco was not about to let that happen.

He swooped down and pressed his slightly parted lips onto the other's mouth harshly, biting the bottom lip in the process. Harry arched his back and gasped lightly, and Draco took the opportunity he had given himself, and slipped his tongue into the other's moist cavity. Almost instantly, Harry's tongue came to battle with his, but surrendered when the blonde wrapped his arms around his slender waist, tipping his head back to give Draco better access, and moved his own arms to around the pale neck, his eyes sliding shut. A strange heat pooled in their stomach's, orginating from where their bodies were touching.

It was several minutes later that they remembered that they weren't the only ones in the room. The Dursley's were sitting in shocked silence, although Dudley was quickly becoming enraged. Draco smirked and licked his lips victoriously, stepping back reluctantly from the dark haired teen, who's pupils were wide with lust.

"Dessert was delicious." He purred, and watched in great amusement as he saw the shiver go down the other's spine. Harry stood there for another two seconds, before bolting past Draco and out of the kitchen. Draco watched him go. Knowing full well that Harry had enjoyed it as much as he had.


	3. Three: Sleep Deprivation

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius. The song belongs to me, some random poetry I wrote.

Rating: PG-13 for now, will go up

Genre: Action-Adventure/Romance

Pairings: DM/HPRW/HGGW/?

Warnings: Major Depression, Mentions of Self Mutilation/Self Injury/Attempted Suicide

Summary: What if instead of Draco killing Dumbledore, he had turned around and _Stupified_ the Death Eaters and Fenrir Greyback? Voldemort puts a bounty on his head, duh! Dumbledore decides, all for his safety, to have him spend the summer where he would be the most protected. With Harry Potter at the Dursley's, of course!

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Sleep Deprivation**_

Draco frowned. A downturn of the lips that signified displeasure of some kind. He hadn't been discontent with much since he had come to stay with the Boy-Who-Lived. The other boy saw to his needs and wants very easily. Already, he was having trouble thinking about the start of the school year when they would go to their seperate Houses. If Draco survived the summer, the Slytherin's would kill him, so he wouldn't really have to miss Potter's cooking and massages. Or the way his eyes sparkled with an unseen light whenever he laughed about their charade. He wouldn't have a chance to regret not being able to kiss those satiny smooth lips over and over, or feel the tanned body shudder in rapture as he...

His frown deepened as he stopped the flow of the thought in it's tracks. Looking around the empty room yet again, he crossed his arms and legs as he leaned back into the desk chair. It was almost midnight. Where was Potter? He was not giving Draco a chance to taunt and tease him about the kiss. Which they had both enjoyed.

The Dursley's had gone to bed several hours ago. Draco had stayed in the kitchen after they had left, waiting. His patience was starting to wear a tad thin.

He had come come up to their room about an hour ago, and Potter still had not shown up. Where could he of gone? Now that Draco thought about it, where did he go every night? He was always asleep before the smaller teen would come in, and would still be asleep when he left. Over the years, Draco had become a light sleeper, and him not being woken up when the door opened or closed, was really strange.

Stranger still was how Potter acted like a House Elf. It made Draco, with all his pureblood pride and training, disgusted. Although it seemed as if he had been doing it for years, and that serving the Malfoy was more desirable then serving the Dursley's.

Then there was that letter from Dumbledore. Draco muttered the line in question aloud, turning it over in his mind. There was only a few things that could mean. Reckless behavior, and self mutilation, or self injury. The former was more of a Gryffindor's style than the latter. Especially when it concerned the Gryffindor Golden Boy and his gang of friends. They would never pass up a chance to do something entirely rash and foolhardy.

He snorted in mild amusement at everything the trio had done over the years. First year had been the Sorcerors stone. The second had been the basilisk. Their third year had been finding Potter's Godfather and proving his innocence(which they had never accomplished). Fourth year had been the TriWizard tournament(Draco couldn't help but smirk when he remembered how Potter had gone up against the dragons). Their fifth year had been that escapade at the Ministry of Magic(which the details were still unclear). He had been watching them carefully over the school terms. Especially Potter. Why, he would never know, but he was probably the only person beside's their group of friends, the Order, and Voldemort, who knew what had gone on their fifth year, and the details he did know had been vague. Shrugging, he returned to his original thoughts.

Their sixth year, it had been him. He didn't know how he knew that, but Draco was positive that it had something to do with him, seeing as how he had almost killed the HeadMaster, but had ended up saving his life instead. That was how he had ended up in this situation. He had spilled everything he knew about the Dark Lord to the leader of the Light, and now there was a bounty on his platinum blonde head. Dumbledore had decided to place him in protective custody until the time came to return to Hogwarts. He hadn't bothered to mention what the Slytherin's would do to him, considering he hadn't even been sure that he would survive the summer with his arch rival.

That led Draco's thoughts to when he had offered his hand in friendship, and been turned down. He frowned again as he replayed the scene in his mind's eye. Would things of been differant if Harry had accepted? Or would it even matter, considering he had been Sorted into Gryffindor? Maybe he would of been able to turn from his father's side sooner if he knew then, what had really happened to so many people, wizards and muggle alike.

Yes, Draco had long come to terms with the fact that he had been harsh to Granger, and other mudbloods and muggles. He wasn't going to apologize, a Malfoy never apologized, but he would be little nicer to them. Just a little.

He glanced at the muggle alarm clock that graced the desk next to his shoulder, and frowned again. It was twelve thirty at night. Where the bloody hell was Potter?

As Draco silently fumed(elegantly of course, a Malfoy could never be less then perfectly graceful, elegant, and charming) upstairs, Harry sat at the kitchen table downstairs, reading a letter from Hermione and Ron. They were both at the Burrow, and despite how jealous he had been of them the summer before fifth year, he sincerely hoped they were doing more then this letter implied, which was worry about him and cheer him up, and they were succeeding. He shook his head as he smiled, rereading a part of the letter.

_'You know I don't trust Malfoy Harry, but perhaps we should give him a chance. He is risking everything right now. Maybe more then would be advisory in his current situation, but risking everything nonetheless.'_

Here it switched to the chicken scratch that Ron called writing.

_'I don't trust him one whit, and I doubt I ever will mate. But mum and dad agree that you both can come here after your birthday. It will be so cool! We can play quidditch again!'_

His chuckling filled the room as set it down beside a small pile of unopened envelopes. They were completely predictable. Hermione was the logic of their group, Ron was some sort of comic relief when they needed it, along with fierce loyalty to his friends that could undermine his prejudices superstitions, and set them all at ease. They were perfect for each other. He had seen it all of last year, the way they had gotten jealous over the littlest of things, and how she had ended up helping him enormously when it came to their school work.

He opened up the letter from Mrs. Weasley, and his smile broadened as he read about how worried she was when it came to him and his eating habits. Sometimes she swore that if it wasn't for her son and Hermione Harry would of starved a long time ago. It was partly true. Due to the constant dieting that they were forced into thanks to Dudley's weight, his growth had been stunted. Otherwise he would of been as tall as Malfoy, if not taller.

He blushed, his thoughts heading towards the kiss. It had been, for lack of a better word, exhilarating, and Harry had loved it. He could admit that much, but only to himself. It was just Malfoy helping him deal with his relatives, there had been no emotion behind it. No love, or desire. Well, only the desire to mess with the muggles.

That didn't stop thoughts of how good they had fit together, or how the arms holding him had felt firm and strong, yet warm and protective, all at the same time. And the kiss itself had Harry ready to melt into a puddle in the chair. Despite the aloof arrogance that Malfoy showed the world, his lips had not been cold in the least. Quite the opposite, and like the embrace, had been rather hypocritical of itself. It had been soft and gentle, yet hard and demanding. And the way their lips seemed to fit together seamlessly had his thoughts swirling around. It had turned him on so much that he had almost whimpered when Malfoy had pulled away. Almost being the imperative word.

He shook his head violently, pushing the matter to the whole event to the back of his mind. Malfoy had not meant it, it was just meant as a way to amuse himself. That was all, end of discussion. Smiling at his own determination to push the matter away completely, he continued to read the letter from Mrs. Weasley.

Him and Malfoy were invited to spend the rest of their summer there, to ensure them all that nothing really bad had happened to Harry(like more starvation, although she didn't come outright and say it). That wasn't happening this summer actually. Thanks to Malfoy being there, they had treated him a lot better. It was probably only because the taller wizard could legally do magic, but it still made him feel alot better. Healthier too.

Putting that one down, he decided to take a break from the reading and do the dinner dishes. Standing up, he adjusted the waistband of the overly huge sweatpants he wore. He wasn't allowed to wear any of the clothes he had gotten from his connection to 'his kind', as his uncle had put it, and had been forced to put up with Dudley's hand-me-downs. They were all too big for him thanks to his cousin's size, but he didn't really care. For once in his life, he was at the Dursley's and was smiling contently while starting a menial chore.

Harry started to put the dishes away, and pretty soon, he was humming a song he had heard on the radio last week when he had shown Malfoy how to use it. His reaction had been almost instantanious, considering it had been one of Dudley's radio stations. He had growled in annoyance, and shot a glare at the muggle contraption until Harry had taken pity on him, and changed it from the fast paced rap, and onto a station he had found when he had gotten a chance to listen when the Dursley's were away.

Closing the drawer of clean utensils, he turned to the dishwater. He had filled it up a when he had come into the kitchen once he was sure that the Malfoy heir had gone to sleep. Pulling up his sleeves, he did his best to ignore his wrists as much as possible. No use reminding himself of his failure more then he had already done so.

He didn't stop humming as he washed what was in the sink. It was more then usual, seeing as how he hadn't stuck around to give them dessert, which they had served themselves, and ended up using way too many plates. It had been an apple pie that his aunt had bought, and they hadn't saved him any. He shrugged, storebought never tasted right anyway. It was something about only getting close to the exact measurement that had the taste coming out different everytime, and Harry loved it. Too bad the Dursley's rarely let him bake, but it was mainly their loss. He couldn't help but wonder what Malfoy would think if he was able to have something that Harry had baked.

Harry's eyes widened as a thought occured to him, pushing the Draco comment to the back of his mind. Maybe he could bake something. A cake. His birthday was still a couple of weeks away, but Dudley's was the day after tomorrow. Perhaps his uncle would let him make a cake for his oversized son. His smile broke out again, full force this time as he literally dropped the knife he had been washing into the water(For the third time that day) and practically ran over to the table.

Pulling a piece of parchment towards him, he quickly listed the ingredients he would need. Flour, eggs, sugar, milk, artificial vanilla flavoring, eggs, cocoa, and baking soda. Carrying the list and one of Dudley's pens, he searched all the cabinets, marking off what he found. Sitting back down at the table, he looked over it again. Everything he would need was here, along with an extra thing of chocolate frosting that Aunt Petunia had gotten for no reason.

Well, it had a reason for being in the cabinet now.

He turned to the small stack of unopened mail, becoming happier by the minute as he read letters from everyone with good news. There was one from Charlie, who was in Romania, telling him about the welfare of the dragon he had faced in one task of the TriWizard Tournament. The last one was from Draco's mother, Narcissa. He left it unopened.

He wrote back to them all, appeasing the worry of Mrs. Weasley, her son, and Hermione with one letter. Harry thanked Charlie for the update on the dragon and her baby. Bouncing up, he headed to the sink, where he still had a full sink of dishes to wash. He had been humming the song for a while, and without realizing, had started to sing out loud.

Back in the bedroom, Draco glared at the clock, which read twenty-eight minutes to two o'clock in the morning. He was tired of waiting up for the damn Potter. He wouldn't admit it, but he was curious as to how late the dark haired teen really stayed up. He himself had nodded off almost three times in the past hour, and was sure that the other boy, who was considerably weaker then him, had fallen asleep somehow. Possibly outside. Where would he be if his only form of entertainment was sick?

Bored to death, that's where.

Plus the sight of a pale and sick Potter was rather disturbing, considering how gorgeous he was.

He continued to glare at the clock as it showed one thirty-five on it's bright digital display. Damnit, if the bloody boy wasn't going to come up here, he would go find him. Standing up, he gracefully stretched the kinks out of his back from sitting in the same position for so long. He opened the door into the darkened hallway, heading towards the stairs, and paused midway down them as a voice reached his ears. Someone was singing, in a deep throated tenor.

_**Hush now baby**_

_**Listen to my voice**_

_**And hear my song for you**_

Draco frowned, the voice sounded familiar. He continued on his way.

_**I know the way we met was wrong**_

_**I turned down your simple song**_

_**Friendship is good and all**_

_**But sometimes that's not it**_

He stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked around. The only visible light was coming from under the kitchen door.

_**All the fights and words I said**_

_**I didn't mean them all**_

_**I wasn't mad at you**_

_**I don't regret the choices made**_

_**Hush now baby**_

_**Listen to my voice**_

_**Here is my song for you**_

That voice was definitely one Draco knew. He turned and walked down the hall on silent feet, wondering if it was that muggle contraption Potter had called a radio.

_**I know the way we met was wrong**_

_**I stomped on your simple song**_

_**But my heart was fluttering**_

_**At first I thought I hated you**_

Draco stopped when he reached the door, and he heard water sloshing as the voice hummed a few bars of melody. He had finally placed it.

_**You're not so bad as I first thought**_

_**It was just your insecurity**_

_**If the way we met had been right**_

_**Things would of been a whole lot different**_

He frowned. What Potter was singing, matched their situation almost perfectly.

_**If our paths had not crossed that time**_

_**Would you still be there**_

_**Taunting and teasing**_

_**Pushing me to the edge**_

It was mainly from Potter's point of view. Was this how he felt?

_**Hush now baby**_

_**Listen to my voice**_

_**And hear my song to you**_

_**I know the way we met was wrong**_

_**I spat on your simple song**_

_**My uncertainties wouldn't let me see past the mask**_

_**To the softer face**_

Draco was mesmerized by the voice. Who knew Potter could sing like that?

_**The day I saw your crying face**_

_**I felt my world fall**_

_**Simple superstition clouded my mind**_

_**And I couldn't tell truth from lie**_

_**Hush now baby**_

_**Listen to my voice**_

_**Hear the song I made for you**_

_**I knew the way we met was wrong**_

_**I ignored your simple song**_

_**But I was tangled and ensnared**_

_**Never to part from you**_

No, wait. They had heard that song last week, on that muggle contraption.

_**Hush now baby**_

_**Listen to my voice**_

_**This is the song I sang for you**_

_**Hush now baby**_

_**Close your ears and sleep**_

_**Because this is the reason I love you**_

Draco opened the door as Potter finished humming the last few bars of melody. Making sure his Malfoy sneer was in place, he leaned against the frame. The similarities to their situation was uncanny, and a little creepy when he thought about it.

"Hello Malfoy." Harry hadn't looked up from where he was doing the dishes, his arms hidden in the soapy water up to his elbows.

"Hello Potter." He looked at the pile on the table.

"Is there a reason you're down here? Except to annoy me." The song had given Harry a chance to think, and even though he was extremely happy, the kiss being forgotten for now, he would not trust Draco until he had been given reason to.

"Do you know what ungodly hour it is right now?" Draco said rudely, frowning as he thought about all the sleep he had just lost. Harry glanced upward at a clock as he put a fork into the pile to be rinsed.

"One forty-two, in the morning." He said promptly, turning to start draining the dirty dishwater, making sure to keep his wrists out of sight.

"And why in Merlin's name are you not asleep?" He asked exasperatingly, sitting down in the chair Harry had occupied not even fifteen minutes ago as the other boy turned on the water to rinse the soap off the dishes.

"I still have things to do." He was smiling gently. This felt right. Him and Malfoy alone in a room. Doing normal things. Not arguing, or throwing insults, or wearing masks.

"Such as?" He picked up the pen and a piece of parchment, having pocketed the letter from his mother to read later. He started to draw.

"Laundry. That should take me another few hours. And then I have to clean the living room while no one's using it. I also need to make sure that at least some of Dudley's gifts are wrapped. And just other small miscellaneous things that need to be done." He shrugged.

"Bloody hell! Can't you do some of that tomorrow?" Draco looked at Harry in suprise, did the boy _ever_ sleep?

"No. I need to clean Dudley's bedroom, which will take all afternoon, and in the morning I need to mow the lawn. Then there's also the dishes I put away before breakfast, then I clean the breakfast dishes. Same with lunch and dinner. Then it's essentially the same routine tomorrow, except instead of cleaning the living room, I need to clean the dining room. And instead of laundry, I need to clear out the fridge and make sure that the oven's clean." He didn't even sigh or flinch at the list of things he had to do, and Draco noticed that, suspicion welling up inside of him.

"How much have you slept since I got here?" He turned around in his seat, and saw Harry tapping his bottom lip with the tip of his finger, trying to remember. That was not a good sign.

"Maybe two or three hours. Why?" He looked over his shoulder at the other boy curiously, plates clinking together as he set them on the rack. Draco just stared at him.

"And this is because I'm here?" Something welled up in his gut, but he pushed it down. What he wanted to know was how Harry kept the bags from showing under his eyes, or look fatigued at all. Draco knew he was going to look like hell tomorrow because of this.

"Yea. I was able to actually take a nap once when they thought I was helping you." He smiled brightly before turning his concentration back to the sink, to keep from accidently cutting himself on the knife he had picked up. Not like it would of really mattered.

Draco remembered the day. He had come back from taking a shower to find him fast asleep in the bed.

"They don't let you sleep?" Draco asked in a monotone, anger rising up in his chest. How **dare** they treat their family like this?!

"No. I don't sleep as a rule. It gives me more time to think. But I like to take naps to annoy the Dursley's." He didn't add the silent _"Not to mention the nightmares I have scare the bloody daylights outta me'_.

"How much longer until you're done with the dishes?" Draco leaned into the chair, and picked up the letter from Mrs. Weasley, glancing at what it said before putting it back down, a thought starting to form in his head.

"Maybe five minutes. Again, why?" He picked up a fork, rinsed it, and had put it in the drainboard before he got a reply. One besides the long suffering sigh.

"You are going to bed." Draco saw Harry tense, but he continued to do the dishes. Another puzzle. Or was it a piece in the original one?

"Can't. Too much to do." He said crisply, clanking two plates together a bit rougher then necessary.

"Your aunt can do those things. I will require all of your attention tomorrow. In our room. By ourselves. So you can sleep." He smirked again.

"But I was going to see if I could bake a cake tomorrow!" Harry whirled around, quickly jamming his sleeves down.

"You bake?" Draco looked at him curiously, crossing his legs.

"Yes. I do." Harry blushed and looked down, feeling a bit embarrassed that he had blurted that out.

"Alright, tell your uncle that I want a chocolate cake tomorrow. And if I don't get one I'll be bloody angry." He pushed some of the long blonde strands behind one ear, smirking victoriously when Harry looked at him hopefully.

"Really?"

"On one condition. You come back to bed with me so that I can go to sleep!" He crossed his arms.

"Can I finish the dishes first?"

"I suppose so. A few more minutes can't hurt." The chair nearly fell over when Harry hugged him tightly, which he instinctually returned, trying not to think about how him being so close had Draco ready to ravish him senseless.

"Thank you so much Draco!" Harry jumped back up and went to finish the dishes quickly. It barely took two minutes before the rack was full, and the sink empty, and then Harry was folding the letters back up and dragging Draco upstairs by the hand.

He didn't protest, he was getting his way after all. And just marking Harry as his even more. Wait. Marking Harry as his? Since when had the Malfoy overprotective behavior included Potter or any of his affiliates? He didn't have a chance to answer his own question because a hand was being waved in his face.

"Hey Mal-...Draco, can you enlarge the bed?" Said boy nodded, and Harry went to put the letters away while Draco levitated the bed to the wall under the window, and enlarged it. It now took up the whole wall, and a fairly large amount of floor space. He transfigured the bedsheets to pitch black silk, with blood red pillows, wondering briefly why he hadn't done that long ago. As an afterthought, he doubled the thickness of the mattress. The springs had given him a backache.

Harry jumped onto it on all fours, having changed and taken off his glasses. He wore another huge shirt with long sleeves, and it looked like nothing else. And until Draco spotted some shorts on underneath it, he thought the same thing. He watched as Harry went to lay against the wall, curling up under the blankets, while taking off his clothes, leaving just his boxers, before turning off the light and climbing in as well.

It wasn't long before Draco followed Harry into the misty abyss of slumber.


	4. Four: Scars

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Rating: PG-13 for now, will go up, and language.

Genre: Action-Adventure/Romance

Pairings: DM/HPRW/HGGW/?

Warnings: Major Depression, Mentions of Self Mutilation/Self Injury/Attempted Suicide and Abuse

Summary: What if instead of Draco killing Dumbledore, he had turned around and _Stupified_ the Death Eaters and Fenrir Greyback? Voldemort puts a bounty on his head, duh! Dumbledore decides, all for his safety, to have him spend the summer where he would be the most protected. With Harry Potter at the Dursley's, of course!

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Scars**_

Harry snuggled closer to his pillow, unwilling to wake up. For once in a long time, his sleep had been dreamless, and he wanted to catch up on all the shut-eye he had missed. Sighing contently, he ignored the amused chuckle from somewhere above him. Who cared if he hugged his pillows? It wasn't often that he was able to sleep in, or sleep at all for that matter. Irritatably pulling the blanket over his head to shut out the noise, he burrowed his nose into his nice and warm pillow. Now if only he could get his pillow to stay still.

"Stof momvg..." The darned pillow wouldn't stop chuckling!

Wait.

Chuckling?

Shit.

He bolted upright, and landed on his back in surprise, biting back a yelp of pain. Instead, he tried his best to look put out at what his pillow had been. Malfoy took one look at him, and laughed harder. Actually laughed. It changed his whole appearance, and he looked even more gorgeous. Harry blushed and looked at his clock, before frowning again.

"Nine fifty-four." He said dully.

"Yes, and?" Malfoy looked at him, leaning against the pillows behind him. Black silk pillows that contrasted his white blonde hair perfectly, and gave him a rather sexy air.

Harry blushed harder and dove into a pile of pillows, pulling the blanket back over his head, trying really hard not to remember last night's kiss, "I'm going back to sleep."

"Who says? I'm hungry." Draco smirked, leaning back onto his pillows in complete comfort.

"And I want sleep. But it looks like I'm not going to get any." Harry retorted, burrowing into darkness in front of him.

"Well, you're awake, so make me breakfast." He demanded.

"No. I want to go back to sleep." He almost whined, and didn't really care.

"Oh, but you were. You were curled up next to me so nicely. Almost, how do I say this? Almost cutely." Draco taunted, and Harry pulled out long enough to glare for a minute before hiding his flaming face again.

"Well soooorry. I'm not used to sleeping in the same bed with people! How was I supposed to know I'ld move?!" He growled into his pile of pillows.

"Really?" He made sure to put a disbelieving spin on the one word, and was rewarded with a squinty eyed glare, because the raven haired boy had yet to find his glasses.

"Don't worry, it won't happen again." Harry pulled the blanket over his head, leaving only the tips of his ears and the top of his wild black hair visible.

"But what if I said I liked it?" Draco purred as he leaned down to whisper to the other boy.

"Then live with it." He barked out.

"Now, now, your sounding like a little puppy, Potter."

"Don't you patronize me Malfoy." Harry pulled himself up onto his hands and glared at the blonde angrily.

"But I wasn't trying to be." He purred out again.

"Yes, you were, and you know it." He had to find a way to get him to stop purring like that, it was severely messing up his whole 'Malfoy is only a friend, if that' complex.

"Whatever you say-" Draco lowered his voice significantly as he smirked leaned closer, "-_Harry_."

He was gifted with a brilliant blush, and emerald green eyes widening. Harry sputtered as he collapsed back into the pillows.

"You're crazy Malfoy. That's final."

As soon as he finished that sentence, he was yanked onto Draco's chest, and the pale youth's mouth landed on the juncture between his neck and shoulder. Pain blossomed along his left side, and he had to bite his bottom lip to keep from whimpering. Harry was about to yell instead when someone crashed into his room with a loud bang.

"Harry! Mum wants..." Dudley trailed off quietly when he saw what was going on.

"What does your mother want muggle?" Draco asked imperiously.

"She wants Harry in the kitchen." He snapped out and left in the same way he had entered, loudly.

"Fine, but be back quickly." He leaned back, frowning when his funtime was cut short.

"Lay back down, I'll be back in a few minutes to get what your wearing today." Harry said indulgently to the Malfoy heir as he stood and changed his pants, leaving the same shirt on.

Down in the kitchen, his aunt Petunia was standing in the middle of the room, her horsey face pale with rage.

"Why didn't you do the laundry?!" She yelled at him in a high pitched voice, a vein throbbing in her long neck.

"Mr. Malfoy made me go to bed with him." Harry replied promptly, trying to at least act innocent and naive, when he was actually getting madder by the second.

"Made you?! You're a wizard! Stop him! You have chores you have to do around the house!" She screamed at him, unaware of the fact that she had just said one of the words that she had sworn that she would never use.

"You just said wizard..." Harry pointed out emotionlessly. Dudley, who was sitting at the table, looked at his mother in shock.

"No I didn't." Petunia tried to backtrack, but the deed was done.

"Yes, you did." A strange sense of triumph filled him.

"No, I didn't. Did I Duddikins?" She looked at her son imploringly.

"You did mum." He even sounded surprised.

"Well, I guess I can, considering my whole family was..." She trailed off, and looked around the room for some sort of escape.

"Aunt Petunia, are you a _squib_?" Harry looked at her through narrowed eyes, knowing he was right when she gulped noisely.

Draco chose that moment to walk in, wearing only a pair of ripped up jeans. He looked around, noticing the wary look Dudley was sending his mother, and the fact she looked scared had him looking at Harry curiously. Said boy was smirking victoriously, as if he had just found out a very confidential secret.

"What's up?" He asked, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist, who just stepped away and glared at him.

"You better not tell Vernon." Aunt Petunia broke in, before Draco could say something insulting to Harry.

"Why shouldn't I?" He looked at her again, ignoring his houseguest.

"What's a squib?" Dudley broke in, and Draco's jaw nearly dropped, as it is he raised an eyebrow as a gist of what was going on struck him.

"Is that why you don't like magic? Why you hated my mother?" Harry ignored his cousin, preffering to give his aunt an incredulous look.

Draco whistled, and decided to appease Dudley's curiousity, mainly because he thought the reaction would be funny.

"A squib is a nonmagical person born in a magical family. Apparantly your mother is one." He leaned against the wall and pretended to be uninterested.

"Is it true mum?" Dudley looked at her, his face pale. She looked at him, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Yes, I am. Mother and father loved _her_ more than they loved me!" Petunia looked at them, filled with righteous anger.

Harry just stood there. Everything made sense now. Like that letter in fifth year. He looked at her again, meeting her blazing eyes with a fire in his own.

"Are they still alive?" Harry could feel Draco's eyes on his back.

"Unfortunately, yes." She turned her nose into the air.

"Why did you never tell me?" He asked monotonously. Rage filling him.

"I never want to speak with them."

"THAT'S NO EXCUSE!" He yelled at her, enjoying the surprised look that came across her face. "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN I WAS IN BECAUSE I HAD NO ONE?! I COULDN'T STAND IT!"

"Harry." Draco said sharply behind him, noticing when inanimate objects started to twitch where it sat. Harry didn't seem to hear him, but he did take a couple of calming breaths.

"No one? You had those friends from that freak school!" Petunia looked at him angrily, surprise no longer leaving her immobile or mute. Harry looked at her for a split second before yelling again.

"I CAN'T TELL THEM ABOUT HOW MUCH PAIN I'M IN BECAUSE I HAVE NO ACTUAL FAMILY BESIDE'S YOU! THEY HAVE FAMILIES! THEY WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!" A tear leaked out of the corner of his eye, and Petunia snapped her mouth shut when she saw it. Full awareness of how her decision had hurt him enveloping her.

"I WOULD OF HAD SOMEONE TO TALK TO AFTER SIRIUS DIED! I WOULD OF HAD SOMEONE WHO KNEW MY PARENTS, AND MIGHT BE WILLING TO TALK ABOUT THEM! BUT NO, YOU WOULDN'T GIVE ME THAT SMALL COMFORT! ALL BECAUSE YOU FELT LEFT OUT AS A KID! THAT'S UNFAIR!" He stopped, and started to try breathing again. It wouldn't do any good if something broke and brought the Ministry breathing down his back again.

"I'm sorry." She looked at the ground, humiliated. Dudley had crept out of the room several minutes ago. Those two words set him off again.

"YOU'RE SORRY?! YOU DIDN'T SEEM THAT SORRY WHEN YOUR HUSBAND BEAT ME!" At this Draco looked up, a dull anger starting to fill him.

"Yes. I never should of kept you from your only family besides us. They might of taken you out of here, and Vernon never would of had to do that. Or your HeadMaster might of given you to them." She met his eyes, tears standing in her own. That stopped Harry in his tracks. Why had Dumbledore brought him here?

"Harry. Sit down." Draco ordered from behind him, fixing a glare on the horse-faced women in front of them. Harry obeyed, feeling numb.

"Does Uncle Vernon know?" He watched as his aunt sat down across from him. Draco remained leaning against the wall.

"No. And Dudley won't tell him." She looked down her nose at him, quickly regaining her old attitude.

"How do you know they're still alive?"

"They would occasionally send me something." She sniffed disdainfully.

"Why was I sent here, instead of to them?" He didn't feel angry at the thought, just a rising suspicion towards Dumblore.

"I guess your HeadMaster thought they were unacceptable." Petunia seemed happy at the thought.

"What are their names?" Draco broke in.

"Sara and John Evans." She replied promptly, saying their names with disdain. Harry looked at him curiously.

"I'll send them an owl right now, inviting them to dinner in your name." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving no space for arguement. Harry smiled broadly, and looked at his aunt victoriously.

"You might want to tell Uncle Vernon." He said triumphantly, giddiness filling him.

She didn't look at him, but sped out of the room and towards the phone in the hall to do just that. He leaned back, mentally thanking Draco, before jumping up and running upstairs to his room, where said boy had just sent Hedwig off with the invitation. Harry smiled at the blonde.

"Thank you Malfoy."

"Don't. Their friends of the family. My father used to do business with them." Malfoy leaned back in the chair and smirked.

"I can't wait to tell Ron and Hermione!" Harry walked over to his trunk to get some clean clothes out.

"Why not tell them now?" Malfoy watched as he looked over the clothes that he had gotten in Diagon Alley, and in Hogsmead, over the years.

"I wouldn't have as much to tell them." He suddenly stilled as a thought occured to him.

"I see." Draco narrowed his eyes as movement stopped.

"Can you owl Dumbledore and let him know? I'm going to be busy cooking and cleaning." Harry asked without feeling.

"Sure. I have a couple of things I need to ask him anyway." He pulled forward some more parchment, and proceeded to write another letter.

Harry nodded, even though the other boy didn't see and went to take a shower before heading downstairs. His aunt absolutely refused to help him beyond getting Dudley to pick up the house and get clean. By the time Uncle Vernon got home(two hours early so he could get ready, and have time to yell at Harry), they had received an enthusiastic reply from Harry's grandparents(they would be there at six o'clock sharp), and dinner was halfway through being finished. From the smell, Draco could tell that this was going to be a masterpiece of Harry's culinary skills. It was probably the only thing keeping his uncle from yelling at him, and Harry was glad.

His Aunt Petunia must of said something to him though, because he didn't even say anything to as he went through the kitchen to get himself something nonalcoholic to drink.

About an hour before they were to arrive, Harry and Draco were in the kitchen, while the muggles were in the family room, obviously waiting with mixed feelings. Every now and then they would hear Vernon's booming voice proclaiming that they had better be out of here fast, and Petunia's snivilly voice would tell him to shut up, these were her parents.

After a particularly rude comment about anything even related to Harry being freaky, which Petunia reminded him that he was her nephew, Draco broke the silence in the kitchen, asking a question that would of been better off left unasked in Harry's opinion.

"Did you uncle really beat you, or were you exaggerating?" Harry turned around and looked at him, debating whether or not to show him proof.

"Yes. He really beat me. I even have some scars." His voice was measuring.

Draco decided to call the bluff.

"Show me."

Harry immediately pulled up his shirt to show him where a thin line crossed his abdomen. "I got this when I was three years old, he used a kitchen knife." He pulled up his right sleeve, where a circular patch of skin that was paler was, "I got this when he pushed me against the stove when I was eight years old." Harry moved closer and moved some of his hair off his neck, revealing a thicker line of scarred flesh, "He gave me this when he pushed me into my _room_-" His voice had become bitter at that one word "-when I was ten years old." He pulled up his shirt again, this time showing his side, where a deep gash was red and puckered, still healing, "I got this just a few days before you got here. He almost broke a rib." Harry moved back to the stove, checking on the gravy that would go over the turkey and store bought stuffing.

"Are those the only ones?" Draco's voice had gone emotionless, trying to fight down the rising feelings of anger.

"They're the only ones I'm willing to show you." How he wished he had had time to make homemade stuffing.

"Where are the other ones?" He leaned back in his chair, the beast in his stomach raging.

"Legs, back, scalp, pretty much everywhere. I'm scarred." He wished now that he hadn't screamed at his aunt earlier and blurted that out.

"Everywhere?" Draco was shocked. His respect for the other boy rose several notches as he realized that even though he had gone through all that, Harry had remained unbroken.

"Yes. Now can we drop it?" He waved his wand hand in the air in a dismissive gesture, and Draco saw several lines of thin scars, barely noticeable unless you were looking for them, which Draco now was. He got up and grabbed Harry's hand, eyes widening as he saw that it was writing.

"'I must not tell lies.' Where did these come from?" Suspicion that Harry had done them to him himself made itself aware in his mind, and Draco searched the other boy's face in an attempt to tell truth from falsehood.

"Umbridge. Fifth year I had two weeks of detention with her. She made me do lines where the ink the quill used was my own blood." He snatched his hand away and stirred the gravy.

Draco growled, "You should of reported her."

"Why do you care?" Harry looked him in the eye, and his own narrowed in suspicion.

"Because your my friend now." Draco said calmly, knowing it wasn't a complete lie.

"Really? Last year you seemed more interested in killing me and Dumbledore!" Harry poked a finger in his chest. The noise in the living room stopped, but he didn't notice. Draco did though, but didn't particularly care.

"You know why I did that." His grey eyes bore into Harry's, and he looked down and away, suddenly feeling a little ashamed of his outburst.

"Sorry, I forgot." He winced at how pathetic that sounded.

"No, your not sorry." Draco hissed out, advancing slowly. Harry stood his ground, looking into the other's eyes sincerely.

"Yes, I am. Your the first person I told about my uncle. I haven't open up that much for anyone else."

That stopped Draco, and he searched Harry's face. He only found concern and truth on it.

"I was feeling vulnerable. So I lashed out." Harry finished, turning back to the stove, and checked on the stuffing. He didn't want to see the look of pity he was sure he would find on Draco's face.

All Draco felt was understanding. He bore scars from the father figure in his house as well, except they were more emotional than physical.

They carried the scars the other should.

Or was Harry emotionally scarred as well?

Was that what Dumbledore meant by 'the blood that others spilled for you, does not mean you must repay them with your own'?

Only one way to find out.

"Let me see your arms." Draco demanded, and Harry looked at him incredulously.

"No."

"Or do I have to make you?"

"There's nothing to see Malfoy. Drop the subject." He resolutely turned back to the stove, but Draco knew he had found several important pieces of the puzzle surrounding Harry. Giving in for the time being, he sat back down at the table.

He would get the rest of the pieces some other time, but Draco was pretty sure that he was on the right track. Everything was coming together.

The beast in his abdomen rose up in anger.

'No one hurt what belonged to a Malfoy.' It said decisively, and he had to agree.

Those muggles would get what was coming to them for hurting his property.


	5. Five: Family Dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Rating: M, for adult scenes, and language.

Genre: Action-Adventure/Romance

Pairings: DM/HPRW/HGGW/?

Warnings: Major Depression, Mentions of Self Mutilation/Self Injury/Attempted Suicide and Abuse

Summary: What if instead of Draco killing Dumbledore, he had turned around and _Stupified_ the Death Eaters and Fenrir Greyback? Voldemort puts a bounty on his head, duh! Dumbledore decides, all for his safety, to have him spend the summer where he would be the most protected. With Harry Potter at the Dursley's, of course!

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Family Dinner**_

Neither of them spoke for what felt like hours, but was actually only forty five minutes. Harry's mind felt like someone had cast a Confounding jinx on it. One minute Malfoy was, well Malfoy, and the next he was acting like an overprotective family member, or significant other(he was not going to think boyfriend or lover). He could feel eyes on his back as he finished making dinner and set the table, which Malfoy had enlarged to fit two more. Harry muttered something about the enlarging charm being one of his favorite spells while he placed the turkey, situated on a platter, as the centerpiece.

Harry had just leaned back to breathe for a minute when the front door rang. Panic slammed into him, enveloping his mind. He knew Malfoy was watching him, but didn't take it into consideration. He was too intent on who was getting the door, and what the ensuing conversation entailed.

"Hello Petunia." A gentle voice filled with wisdom and love spoke tentatively.

"Hello Mother. Father. Come in." Harry's aunt spoke crisply, her tone weighed down by the formality she used. There was footsteps, and then the door closed.

"Where is Harry, and young Master Malfoy?" It sounded like an elderly man who had carried grief for years, and was still bearing it silently.

"They're in the kitchen. Dudley, get your cousin and his friend." It was Vernon this time, speaking gruffly to his son.

It was only a few minutes before the blimp that was his cousin entered the room, glaring at him.

"They're here." He turned and left, not waiting for a response. Draco stood and stretched, heading into the hall. Harry was a couple of steps behind him, trying to hide how anxious he was. When he saw his grandparents, all nervousness fled, to be left with a feeling of rightness.

The women, his grandmother, Sara Evans, was his height. Her grey hair was pulled into a regal knot at the nape of her neck. Her slender face had plenty laugh lines, but there were frown lines as well. Instead of taking away from her beauty, they added a dignity that only one who had suffered, and come to accept the worst could have. Her green eyes met his emerald ones, and they filled with tears as she smiled brilliantly. She tugged at her husbands arm, and pointed. He looked at her from where he was exchanging pleasantries with his living daughter, and his own eyes crinkled upward as he smiled.

There were more frown lines on his face then laugh lines, but there was a stately air about him that spoke of old money, and pride. John Evans held his wife's hand where it rested lightly on his elbow. But he turned his attention to Draco first, somehow sensing that Harry was not yet ready to greet his last living relatives.

"Master Malfoy. How nice to see you again." He held out his hand and shook Draco's firmly.

"Master Evans. It's been a long time." He smiled politely, and Harry, who was able to see it, had to consciously remember to breathe when he saw it.

"I hope you're faring well." He smiled at Harry again, his own green eyes twinkling happily.

"I'm faring well enough. How about you and your lovely wife?" Draco looked at Harry, who was looking a lot calmer, but seemed to hide slightly behind him.

"We're wonderful." John sent a glance at his wife, who was ecstatic.

"Please forgive me for forgetting my manners," He stepped a little to the side and gently pulled Harry forward, "Sara and John Evans, this is your grandson, Harry Potter."

That seemed to break whatever had been binding them to simple niceties, and Sara stepped forward, pulling Harry into a hug. Harry readily returned it, trying to keep his tears at bay. She was having the same difficulty. John looked at Draco, one hand on his wife's shoulder, tears were standing in his eyes as well.

"Thank you so much Master Malfoy." He said quietly.

Draco didn't feel right. He had done this in the begginning to make Harry indebted to him, and tie them closer together. But seeing the scene in front of him, he discovered that he enjoyed being nice to the other boy. Draco swore silently to himself that this was definately not going to become a regular occurance. He met the misty blue with his grey and smirked.

"I'm not my father. It's Draco."

John nodded and turned to hug Harry as his wife finally let him go. Draco turned to the Dursley's. They were huddled up further along the hall, closer to the kitchen. Dudley was hiding behind his dad, who was hiding behind his wife, who was staring defiantly at them all. Draco lazily ran a hand through his hair as her gaze was transferred to his.

His attention was pulled toward the door again when Sara tapped his shoulder, looking up at him.

"Thank you, Draco. This means so much to us. You didn't have to, but you did." She smiled a bit watery again, and Draco couldn't help but return it. He didn't reply, but nodded, and she turned back to her husband and grandson.

It was several minutes before Harry was able to disentangle himself long enough to say something.

"I'm sure your hungry. Dinner's ready." And with that, they all trooped to the kitchen.

Harry sat across from his grandmother, Draco sat beside him and across from the Evans family patriarch. Petunia and Vernon took the end seats across from each other, and Dudley hadn't even sat down. He had just waited until the turkey had been carved before making a plate and leaving. No one objected.

An awkward silence descended on them while they started to eat. Harry's aunt pointedly ignored the glances his grandmother would send her. Vernon didn't even grunt as was his usual habit when eating. Draco had closed his eyes several times as all the flavors that had been used on the food danced on his tongue and down his throat. It was this that finally broke the silence.

"This is wonderful. Who cooked it?" John looked at Harry, after he saw the Malfoy heir close his eyes in ecstacy for the second time in as many minutes. He took another bite, enjoying the taste as much as the teen across from him.

"I did." Harry flushed, a little embarrassed. Sure he could cook, but it wasn't anything special.

"This is better then what some of the House Elves do." His grandmother smiled at him.

"Thank you." He smiled this time. And Draco had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he added his opinion.

"His food is rather addicting. I don't know how I'll be able to go without eating it." He drolled lazily.

"I can understand how you feel that way." John's lips turned upward as Harry's blush darkened again.

"Harry dear, I can't believe your almost seventeen!" Sara exclaimed out of no where, glad that the tense stillness had been broken, and wanting it to stay that way.

"Next week." Harry confirmed.

"You have to tell us about school. How are your grades?" It was obvious by that one question what John Evans considered important. Harry chuckled nervously.

"In need of improvement." He lightly smacked Draco's arm when the blonde muttered something that sounded strangely like 'major understatement'.

"What were your O.W.L.S. like," Harry's grandfather took another bite while a list of his scores was rattled off, and nodded approvingly, "Better than Lily's." He said, and his wife took up the string of interrogation.

"What's your favorite subject?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"No surprise. What's your least favorite?"

"Potions." Harry said promptly, not looking at Draco who nodded in agreement.

"No wonder there, you suck." He said calmly, and Harry glared at him.

"It's not my fault you suck at _my_ favorite class." He stuck out his tongue, and Sara laughed.

"Lily and James was the same way. Now Harry, are you in any teams or clubs?"

"I play Quidditch for the Gryffindor team." He said, smiling when he remembered how much fun he always had when he was on his Firebolt. He looked at his grandfather and Draco when identical sounds of disgust came from them, with the same muttered 'Gryffindorks'. Sara swatted her husbands arm playfully.

"Remember, you married one." She said threateningly, and he looked at her in mock fear.

"You told me you were a Slytherin!" Harry couldn't help it, his jaw dropped and he looked at Draco, who had his surprise hidden, but not well enough for the other teen who had become fairly profficient at reading him.

Harry started chuckling, and within seconds it was fullblown laughing, and Draco raised a delicate eyebrow at him, clearly asking 'what's so funny'.

"Sorry, I was just imagining Ron and Hermione's faces when they find out." His grandparents looked at him, not having seen the change of emotions that Draco had gone through.

"Your friends?" Sara asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yes. Hermione Granger was almost put in Ravenclaw, but thankfully she wasn't, or I wouldn't of survived first year. Or second, or third, maybe even fourth, fifth, or sixth." Draco winced at the last one, but no one saw it.

"Because of Voldemort?" John asked calmly, and Harry nodded.

"Who's Ron?" Harry's grandmother continued the questioning, fully planning to catch up with seventeen years in one evening.

"Ron Weasley," He decided to ignore the small sound of displeasure that came from Draco when he mentioned his friend, "He's the Keeper for our Quidditch team."

"I was too! John was the Slytherin Keeper." She added the last part as if it was an afterthought.

"What about you Draco?" John ignored his wife.

"Harry and I are both Seekers."

"Who's caught the snitch more often?"

"Harry. But it was pure luck every time."

"Yea right." Harry glared at the blonde again.

"Aren't the Slytherins sneaky cheaters?" Sara whispered loudly to her grandson, who nodded.

"We do not cheat." Draco said in a dignified manner.

"We just don't play by the same rules." John turned his nose up, pretending to be the pureblood that he was. Draco had done the same thing.

"They're too alike for their own good." Harry muttered quietly to his grandmother, who sighed.

"Sneaky Slytherin." She said to her husband.

"Brash Gryffindor." He shot back.

Harry and Draco's eyes met, and Harry couldn't help but smile widely at the taller boy, who just scoffed and turned away.

Dinner passed much the same way it had started. They talked about Hogwarts, Lily and James(Harry was extremely happy to finally have someone to talk to about his parents), Quidditch, Slytherins, Gryffindors, the boys, and anything that popped into their heads.

Harry lived through all this like it was a dream. A large part of him had yet to fully comprehend what was happening. By the time they left he was closer to realizing it completely. As they were saying their goodbyes at the door, Sara turned to her husband and whispered something in his ear. He grinned at her and nodded, before turning to the two teens in front of them(the Dursley's had disappeared about halfway through dessert).

"Now, as my wife has brought back to my attention, you two boys will be leaving once Harry turns seventeen. Are we correct?" He looked at them.

"Yes, sir." Draco said politely, which was proving a constant amazement to Harry.

"What do you plan on doing?" Harry shrugged at the question and looked at Draco.

"I was considering inviting him and the Weasleys to stay with me at one of the Malfoy Manors." Draco said, amused when he heard Harry's strangled gasp.

"How about you see if you can stay with us?" John asked, with his wife's prompting.

"We will speak with HeadMaster Dumbledore about it." Draco assured, and Harry's grandparents left with that reassurement.

They headed upstairs, where Hedwig hooted at them from her open cage on the desk. Draco took off his clothes and sat gracefully down on the bed, watching Harry. Said boy just sat down at the desk, grabbing a piece of parchment and pen to write to Ron and Hermione. When with the Dursley's he preffered to use his cousin Dudley's pens and pencils, that way he wouldn't have to worry about spilled ink. He had gotten as far as-

_'Hey Ron, Hermione,_

_You'll never guess what happened! We found out that my aunt's a squib, and that my grandparents are still alive.'_

-when it hit home with him.

He had family to turn to. He wasn't alone anymore.

A single tear ran down his cheek.

"What's wrong with you Potter?" Malfoy had laid down under the blankets, and looked like he didn't really want to sleep.

"Thank you so much Draco." Harry turned to the blonde, wiping away the liquid and giving Malfoy his full smile.

Draco's stomach flip-flopped. He waved a hand dismissively and turned over in the bed, grunting noncommitedly. Harry just smiled and turned his attention back to the letter he was writing.

It was later that night, just a few hours until sunrise when it happened.

He had fallen asleep at the desk, midway through writing the letter to Ron and Hermione. At first, it had been a completely ludicrous dream about Snape giving him an Outstanding on his O.W.L.S, and doing the same with the Weasley, before grabbing Hermione and snogging the daylights out of her. Then Draco had walked up to him and kissed him tenderly, one would say almost lovingly.

Then Harry was back in the graveyard where Cedric had died, looking out at a crowd of cloaked people. All of them wore the white mask that bespoke them to be Death Eaters. Harry felt immense pride at what one of them reported.

"Good. Very Good." He said silkily, before casting _Crucio_ on the messenger.

"What is your plan, Dark Lord?" Another figure spoke from somewhere in the crowd.

"We will take out Scrimgoer. And then we will find Dumbledore. Malfoy's son might of been too weak to do the job, but we will succeed this time." Harry spoke, and _Crucio_ was cast on the questioner as well.

"No, we will not fail this time." The satiny tones sounded almost happy. Harry felt elated as he started to hit every person in attendence with the _Cruciatis_ curse, getting happier the louder they screamed. Harry then turned turned, and started speaking in Parseltongue to his faithful snake, Nagini.

"_We will get Harry Potter this time, Nagini. Do not worry. We will take out those who protect him, one by one._"

The shrieks from the Death Eaters filled the air.

His scar started to hurt, as if trying to tear his head apart. As if it was on fire...

How Harry felt so giddy that they were finally going to get Harry Potter...

His head felt like it was about to burst...

"_Potter_! _Potter_! HARRY!" Harry opened his eyes to see Malfoy leaning over him, grasping a shoulder and shaking it roughly.

"Not... again..." Was all he said before running out of the room and into the bathroom to vomit into the toilet. Draco was not far behind, and leaned against the doorframe, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you sick Potter?" He took a step forward, lightly placing his hand on the other boy's back.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Harry screamed, the urge to bite Draco and poison him becoming overwhelming.

"What's wrong with you?" He took a step back.

"No... Dumbledore... dream... Voldemort... important." Was all he tried to say as he continued to throw up.

Draco hadn't waited to see if Harry would say anything else. He walked into their bedroom and immediately wrote a brief note to their HeadMaster, saying that Harry had a bad dream, was now sick, and needed him immediately. He gave it to Hedwig with the instructions that it was to go straight to Dumbledore, and she was not to come back, or leave him alone, until he had either written or said he was going to come. Draco watched her fly off into the night, and didn't turn around until he heard the door close.

"Are you alright now Potter?" He didn't bother to turn around. The beast in his abdomen wanted answers, and wanted them now, but Draco didn't feel like pushing the Gryffindor Golden Boy.

"Yea. Did you send Hedwig for Dumbledore?" Harry replied tiredly, sitting in the chair with a bone weariness.

"Yes. What was that about?" Draco turned around and looked at the dark haired teen, eyes narrowed.

"This-" Harry tapped the scar on his forehead, "-Gives me a connection to Voldemort that I would rather not have."

"And?" Draco prompted coldly, noticing how pale the usually tanned boy looked. Harry sighed.

"I don't know what drew me there, but all of a sudden I was him, at a meeting."

"And how do you know this is enough to warrant Dumbledore's attention?" Draco sat down on the bed, confident that he had derailed the other boy.

"It's happened at least one other time. When Ron's dad got hurt by m-...by Nagini." Draco caught the slip, and pushed it to a corner of his mind to investigate later.

"So Dumbledore will come?"

"Possibly. If not I'll just have to try to warn him some other way." Harry closed his eyes, torn between the need for sleep, and the restlessness he felt.

"Lay down Potter." Draco's cool voice had him looking up in surprise.

"I don't think I can sleep right now." He sighed again, obviously upset about whatever he had just seen.

Draco didn't bother waiting for the thing that always spoke up to tell him what he was thinking. No one hurt what belonged to a Malfoy, and Voldemort had done that countless times.

He looked up startled when Potter whispered something, catching the last few words.

"...dead. The world would be so much better."

"What did you say Potter?" Draco looked at him, suspicion rising in his chest.

"I said I wish Voldemort was dead. The world would be so much better."

"Can't argue with you there." With that Draco laid down, not really caring if Harry went back to sleep or not. He barely registered it when Hedwig came flying through the window after an hour, but the cursing, the wandless kind, coming from Potter had him sitting upright sleepily.

"What is it Potter?" Draco yawned.

"Dumbledore will be coming tomorrow to take us to Order Headquarters. He'll decide what to do there." Harry turned to the closet and started packing everything into the trunks.

"Hmm... that's nice." He yawned again.

"Go back to sleep Malfoy." Harry said gently.

Draco didn't hear Harry, he was already fast asleep.


	6. Six: Snuffles

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

I got tired of keeping track of updating the warning, so I'm only going to warn of what's specific to each chapter. This chapter it's molestation, so be warned of the area after Dudley comes into the kitchen. It's nothing graphic. Review responses are at the bottom.

My bday was last week, so this is a belated 17th bday present to me!

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Snuffles**_

Harry sat at the desk, worried. It had happened. He had become Voldemort again. He had almost hurt Malfoy. He had barely resisted the urge to sink nonexistent fangs into his pale torso.

But why was he so afraid that it would happen again and he wouldn't be able to stop himself?

Harry was not about to let himself fall back into the paranoid world that made him out to be a weapon, a _tool_, of Voldemort. That had been cleared up in fifth year. Tom Riddle did not control him physically or mentally, beyond the power that Harry himself gave him. Nowadays, that wasn't alot.

So why was he so worried that he would hurt egocentric Malfoy?

Hedwig, who was in her cage, hooted anxiously at him. He looked at her and handed her a treat. Sometimes she was his only friend. Especially here, surrounded by people who hated him.

"What's going to happen? I swore I would never go back there. It's just too empty without Sirius. I don't want to have to see Kreacher, or Mrs. Black, or anything else in that place."

She hooted at him again, as if trying to console him. Harry sighed.

"I know girl. I just miss him so much."

Harry briefly wondered what Sirius would say to him. Probably something about James, or about what they could do instead of sit around and mope all day.

Hedwig cocked her head to one side.

"I don't need a reason why. He was my godfather. Besides Professor Lupin, my grandparents are my only connection to my parents."

She hooted again.

"They would of looked nice together." He chuckled.

This time she sounded condescending.

"What? It's not my fault that they would."

If only an owl could roll their eyes.

"I still don't know what I'm going to do Hedwig," Harry sighed again, "I don't think I can stay calm if Kreacher says one thing about Sirius. Or if Mrs. Black screams once about mudbloods and blood traitors."

She hooted in a comforting way again.

"And what if it happens again? What if I can't control it next time, and I hurt someone, like Ron, or Hermione, or Dumbledore, or-" He gulped, "-Malfoy?"

Her silence was penetrating.

"At least he's asleep and can't hear my pity party." Harry smiled at her.

Unbeknownst to Harry, Draco was awake and watching him through slitted eyes.

What did Potter mean by what he said? He could understand missing his Godfather and wanting that connection to his parents. Draco never had one either.

But what did he mean by not being able to control it next time? Draco considered getting up and asking directly, but he might be able to get answers this way and Potter wouldn't know. He didn't have to strain his ears to be able to hear Potter, even though he spoke quietly.

"Hedwig, Voldemort is going to come after me. That means that Malfoy is vulnerable. What if he ends up like Cedric, or Sirius? Or mum and dad?"

Was Potter concerned that he would die? Obviously, so why wasn't he concerned about his friends?

"Ron and Hermione can take care of themselves. They were pretty good during the D.A. and were only improving."

What was this D.A.? Was it that little club they had in fifth year?

"But I'm not so sure about Malfoy. He must still be upset about last year. His reaction to me just mentioning it proves it."

Potter was right. Draco's mind refused to go anywhere near the events at the end of last term and the events leading up to it.

But how had he known that?

"I guess it doesn't matter that much. I wonder what would of happened if I was put in Slytherin like the Sorting Hat wanted to do."

That was new information.

Hedwig hooted at him.

"Yea, Ron wouldn't be my friend, neither would Hermione. Malfoy and I would probably still be at each others throats though."

Potter chuckled, and Draco frowned. What was so amusing about that?

"I might of been able to stop him before he went to Voldemort in the first place." He was serious again.

Draco was able to stop the instinctual urge to flinch at the sound of the Dark Lord's name.

"As it is, I hit him with _Sectumsempra_ last year, and _regretted_ it. When have I ever regretted anything to do with Malfoy?"

Draco had yet to do anything he regretted, except maybe cornering Dumbledore on top of that tower last year.

Hedwig hooted again.

"Never. Exactly. I guess if I'm having this much trouble accepting him, I wonder how much Ron's having."

That brought a chuckle to the dark haired boy's lips again. He closed his eyes, and his owl just tilted her head. Reopening them he looked out the window and frowned.

Draco wanted to hurt whatever caused the change in expression. Wanted to rip, tear, maim whatever had put the frown on his face.

"Sunrise isn't too far off. Ginny kept trying to make me watch it with her. I never could get up that early at school."

Draco had to keep from audibly snorting. That boy could get up before Draco did.

Except yesterday morning. He hadn't wanted to get up at all.

"I kind of regret breaking it off with her. She is Ron's little sister. But she had cheated on me."

So the Weaselette had cheated on him.

"I don't miss her as my girlfriend, I doubt I ever will have someone that close to me."

What did Potter mean by _that_?

Hedwig squawked at him.

"I know Hedwig, I know."

She hooted shrilly this time, and even Draco could tell she was being reproachful.

"Don't you dare tell that to anyone else." Harry looked at his owl threateningly.

Draco had to keep from chuckling.

Hedwig 'spoke' again.

"When it comes to that, I don't care what you think." He huffed and looked away from her.

She seemed to laugh at the childish expression on his face.

The alarm clock by Harry's elbow went off and started to beep shrilly. Draco jumped and reached for his wand under the pillow.

Harry pressed a button and deadened silence filled the room.

"Good morning Malfoy." Harry chuckled at his expression.

"What the bloody hell Potter!?"

"Sorry about that. Go ahead and go to back to sleep. Dumbledore won't be here for at least another couple of hours." He stood up.

"You haven't answered my question." Draco pointed out.

"It was letting me know when my uncle would wake up so I can tell him we're leaving." He seemed to find something funny about this, and couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so amusing?" Draco asked, reaching for the clean clothes Harry had left out for him.

"I'm just imagining how glad he'll be. After this school year I'll never have to come back here and they know it." He headed for the door to give the other boy some sort of privacy.

Down in the kitchen, he put a pot of coffee on for his uncle. Harry knew how happy the thought of him leaving would make his older relative.

Hell, he was ecstatic.

It was only half an hour until his uncle came down. Harry had made himself a cup of coffee and had just finished rinsing the mug when he came in, but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Harry.

"What are you doing down here boy?" He asked gruffly, moving again to make his coffee.

"I have some news to tell you." Harry said, leaning against the counter.

"Well, what is it? I haven't got all bloody day."

"Me and Malfoy will most likely be leaving before too much longer." Harry grinned at the thought, even if he was going to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, the last place he wanted to be next to the Dursley's.

"Great!" He exclaimed absently, then finished making his coffee and left through the back door.

"Yes, it is."

Harry turned around and made himself another mug of the glorious substance. He had just started sipping, and had turned around to go see what Malfoy was doing when his cousin came in.

The leer on Dudley's face had a shudder going down his spine in disgust and mild fear. Quickly hiding it, he continued to sip his current beverage of choice.

"Hello, Dudley." Harry greeted warily and went to go around him to leave, but stopped when Dudley locked the door.

"It's my birthday Harry. Where's my present?" He took a couple of steps towards Harry, who matched him step for step heading back towards the counter.

"Me and Malfoy are leaving today." He said emotionlessly, hoping that would appease his cousin.

It was a failed attempt. Harry knew that a little too late.

Dudley reached forward and slammed Harry against the fridge to their right. He yelled in pain when the mug of coffee spilled all over his hand, and landed on the floor only to shatter. The grip on his arms tightened as he was pushed into the hard surface.

"Dudley! Stop! It hurts!" Harry cried out hopelessly.

"You didn't tell that freak master of yours to stop! Why should I!" He slammed Harry against the refrigerator again. Harry yelped when his bare foot landed in the middle of the shattered mug.

"Dudley! What are you doing!" He tried the yelling tactic again.

"Don't feel so brave without your wand, now do ya?" Dudley turned Harry around and pushed his face into the fridge door, pressing his morbidly obese body into the smaller one below him.

Harry could swear he felt the gash on his side reopen as pain flooded through his body. He cried out again as Dudley reached into his pants, roughly grabbing him.

"Dudley! Stop it!"

No one was going to save him. He wasn't worth saving. He was scarred. No one loved him, or ever would.

"You're not worth saving Harry." Dudley whispered in his ear, only affirming what Harry was thinking.

Wrapped up in trying to fight off the oncoming wave of depression and his cousin, he didn't hear the spell to open the locked door. He didn't hear the growl, or the shout of outrage.

It wasn't until the sound of flesh hitting flesh that Harry looked up and saw Malfoy physically pounding the life out of Dudley, who was laying on the ground close to the sink, too surprised to fight back.

He slid down to the ground, tears running down his face, but he did nothing to stop them as he stared into a blank space. All he wanted right now was for sleep to take him, and for him to never wake up from it.

Draco stood up from where Harry's cousin was currently unconscious. He paused long enough and healed him, so that no one would believe his claims to being attacked, before turning to Harry.

The sight that met his eyes had the thing in his abdomen demanding blood. The blood of the person who had put Harry into that position.

Draco pushed it down, not wanting to deal with it right then, and kneeled instead. He took in the reddened hand, and the bleeding cuts on one foot, but they didn't turn his stomach and had him screaming for vengence. The tears that ran down his cheeks, unhindered from blank emerald eyes, a slight tremor in the arm that ended in the burned hand, the quivering bottom lip as he tried to surpress his automatic instinct to cry.

"Potter." Draco said roughly.

Said boy flinched away from the cold voice.

"Harry." Draco said it gently this time, and was rewarded for his mild efforts.

"Malfoy?" Harry said tentatively, turning to meet his eyes.

No one loved him. Why was Malfoy here? To laugh at how he had failed? At how he had allowed his cousin to molest him?

"Yes, it's me Harry." Draco was having difficulty keeping the anger out of his grey eyes as he saw how broken the dark haired boy looked and acted.

There was a glimmer of recognition in the green eyes, before Harry collapsed abruptly and cried into his silk shirt.

"Shh... It's okay, Dumbledore will be here soon to take you away." He wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and rubbed his back, wanting nothing more then to kill Harry's cousin when he felt the blood that had soaked through his shirt from the reopened wound.

'No one hurts what belongs to a Malfoy.'

Bloody right. Draco was going to make sure that it never happened again.

Exactly five minutes later Dudley regained consciousness. Draco, who was still trying to comfort the hysterical Harry, gave him a Malfoy patented deathglare, and the obese teen was out within seconds.

It was still maybe thirty minutes before Harry's sobs receded enough for him to be coherent.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, getting ready to stand up.

"For what?" Draco asked coldly, letting him go.

"Ruining your shirt." Harry said numbly, getting to his feet.

"I can always get another one," He said nonchalantly, then glanced at the clock, "Dumbledore will be here soon. You might want to go wash up."

Harry nodded and left the room, leaving Draco to his thoughts, and schemes.

Until he chose otherwise, Potter belonged to him. He would do something to make the muggles remember that.

But what could he do? He glanced around the room, but nothing jumped out at him. Then his eyes landed on the fridge. Harry had explained how it worked. Draco kneeled by the back of it, and found the cord that went into the wall. If he remembered what had been explained right, then it would be a simple matter to just unplug it, but that could be easily fixed. Taking out his wand, which he had up until now neglected, he muttered the hex that would cut the whole cord. Draco followed that up with a simple spell to fix the rubber exterior. He did that multiple times up into the back of the fridge. Then Draco muttered one for lightning and short curcuited the outlet.

Smirking when he opened the fridge to find out it his attempt had worked. He went around and did it for several appliances, before going to the family room and doing the same there. When he was done doing that, he summoned a House Elf from one of the Malfoy Manors.

"Gibly."

_Crack_

"Yes, Master Draco Sir, what can Gibly do for you Sir?" A wrinkled greenish grey House Elf stood a few feet in front of him.

"I want you to haunt this house until I tell you otherwise. You are not to listen to any of the orders you might receive from these people and only to mine. You are to follow them if they move. Am I understood Gibly?"

"Yes, Master Draco Sir. Gibly understands Sir."

"Good. You are dismissed."

There was another crack and the House Elf disappeared. Harry came down a couple of minutes later, dragging their trunks. Draco saw him flinch everytime he took a step and pulled out his wand, levitating them the rest of the way down. Harry nodded his thanks and sat down on the couch, head in his hands. Draco remained standing, inspecting his fingernails.

"You don't have a chipped nail, Malfoy." Potter's tired voice had Draco glancing at him.

"Hmm?" He continued to look at his nails.

"You're looking at your nails like you had to carry the trunks down." Harry pointed out, his head falling back to his hands.

"I did." He summoned a goblet of butterbeer, not really caring if Harry wanted one or not.

"Whatever, Malfoy." Harry shifted in his seat, a sharp intake of breath being the only clue to how much pain he really was in.

"Did you take care of your side?" Malfoy pointed one aristocratic finger at him. It took Harry a couple of moments to figure out what he had said through the haze of pain and exhaustion surrounding his awareness.

"I bandaged it." Harry said noncommitedly. It wasn't Malfoy's problem.

"Did you put some sort of healing cream on it?" He narrowed his eyes. Why was Potter being so difficult?

"No. . ." He glanced at Malfoy warily.

"Why not?" He looked at the smaller boy suspiciously.

"Because Aunt Petunia hides it from me." Harry snapped out. Why did Malfoy want to know?

"Does she now?"

"Yea. Now can you drop it? I can probably get someone at Headquarters to heal it." He stood up painfully. He knew where the pain medicine was.

"Why not me?" Malfoy said in a challenging tone, and Harry turned back to him, exasperated.

"Because you're not that good at healing spells." He replied simply.

"How do you know?"

"Now your sounding like a little kid. The ones you healed the other day left small scars. I'm not sure if you can do it right." He didn't bother waiting for an answer, but stalked back upstairs to the bathroom, downing a couple of ibuprofen dry then going back. They didn't stop the pain, but dulled the edges of it so he could think.

Harry walked back into the family room, to see that Dumbledore had arrived. Malfoy and him were having a conversation, and Dumbledore smiled when he saw Harry. Draco had taken a moment to change out of his ruined silk blouse.

"Harry. I hope you are in good health."

"As well as I can be Professor." Harry smiled in return, glad to be getting out of here, and away from Dudley. Nevermind the fact that he was going to the last place he wanted to be.

"Now Harry, we must be going. Have you told your aunt?" He looked at Harry, as if searching for a falsehood.

"I left her a note in the kitchen." He replied evasively and tried to pretend that Draco was not watching him cautiously.

"That will be fine. Now we must be going."

Hedwig hooted an affirmative from her cage.

"Now, I have brought a Portkey to right outside the residence. Remember to think of the address, or you won't be able to see it." His eyes twinkled merrily as he pulled out an old watch.

Harry and Draco grabbed their trunks and placed their hands on it. Dumbledore activated it, and accompanied by the familiar tug at the navel, they twirled off, to land in front of the empty lot. Pushing down the memories that he associated with the place, Harry thought of the slip of tattered parchment from fifth year.

_'The headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix may be found at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London.' _

Immediately a building began to inflate from thin air. Once Dumbledore was sure that they all had gained access, he strode forward and opened the door.

It was dark and silent... For about three seconds.

Crookshanks came out of the shadows and knocked over the ugly troll foot umbrella stand, starting off Mrs. Black at the head of the stairs.

"**BLOOD TRAITORS!!! MUDBLOOD LOVERS!!! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY HOME?!?**"

Mrs. Weasley came running from an upstairs room to try and close her curtains. The other portraits along the walls had been woken up and Ron and Hermione quickly joined her, but they took the other ones. Harry felt elated at seeing his friends again and he could tell that even Draco thought it was amusing how the paintings wouldn't stop screaming, if the look on his face was any indicator. He looked to be restraining a smile, but anyone else would see only the single eyebrow raised and Harry wondered how no one could see the obvious signs.

But then again, he seemed to be the only one able to pick up on facial expressions, especially the Malfoy's. Said boy felt someone watching him, and turned around to see Harry telling a House Elf to put their things in a room. He noticed how he used exact directions, not leaving anything to chance.

"Yes, Master Potter, Kreacher will do this," He said obediently before turned around, dragging the things to the stairs, "Filthy halfbreed, making Kreacher be friends with the mudbloods and blood traitors. How Kreacher wished mistress were still around, she would of cursed them for such a thing."

Harry rolled his eyes, and watched as Dumbledore left for the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was still trying to close the curtains on Mrs. Black, but to no avail.

"**FILTH! SCUM OFF MY SHOES! BEGONE FROM THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!**"

Mrs. Weasley seemed to give up trying on her own and yelled down the hall.

"For Merlin's sake! Sirius, get out here and shut your mother up!"

Harry felt his blood go cold in his veins as a familiar form came running from down the hall.

A/N: Okay, all reviews as of 9-4-07:

DrarryLuver: Thx for ur review. And the first one for my new story at that! I hope u continue to enjoy it. And don't worry, all the goody angst comes in soon.

Lugga: Here is ur update. thx for ur review!

Dezra: It's explained next chapter, don't worry.

rabidbutterfly: looks at ur name and backs up slowly thx . . . hehe? I hope u continue to enjoy:)

random-laughter: smiles shyly arigatou. . .danke. . .gracias. . .thx. . .I hope u continue to enjoy!

bookworm3213: Tada! sry, i just couldn't let Harry go back to #12 w/o Sirius. He is my fav! Well. . .2nd fav. . .

satyr-oh: u know what. . .i need to figure that out. . .how about this, they're originally native american medicine people who came to britain not long after the first slaves were brought over in 1609 or therebouts? not much of a familial kinship to anyone there.

Akira-sama: bows respectfully here is ur update, tono. Pocky? holds out a box of chocolate pocky sticks

Yellowwolf: Glad u enjoyed it!

Empyreal Wolf: I'm glad u like the idea for the story. And it's not the first of its kind.

A/N: I'm going to start trying to update weekly, usually by Friday. and sry it took so long to get this chapter out, but I had to readjust to my classes in august, and before that my computer has no internet.

_**This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_Gold Tinted Spectacles_  
Author: Beren (aka Didi)  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: R

If you read any good ones, plz let me know!

THANKS EVERYONE! And please continue to review.


	7. Seven: Outburst

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

No warnings for this chapter. Just a teeny bit of fluff, almost nonexistent. Not my best chapter yet though. . .grimaces

**Chapter 7: **

**Outburst**

It didn't take long for them to close the curtain over Mrs. Black. Then everyone turned to Harry, who had gone pale with conflicting emotions.

One part of him wanted to run to Sirius, hug him, and tell him how he had missed the older man.

The other part wanted to scream and rage until he had worn himself out.

Unfortunately for everyone around him, the latter was winning.

Hermione exchanged looks with Ron and stepped back, neither exactly willing to face another of Harry's full blown rages. Mrs. Weasley looked confused at the two teens beside her, before looking at Sirius, who was as slackjawed as his Godson. Draco looked between them all, quickly deciding that getting Harry to a place where he would not reawaken the Black Family Matriarch took precedence.

"Potter. I'm thirsty."

Luckily for him, Harry was too torn between the two emotions to do much more then agree and lead the way into the kitchen. Draco beckoned to the others to follow him and they did.

Once they were all seated on the benches at the table, Harry had gotten them all something to drink, they remained silent waiting for Harry to say something. Dumbledore had yet to leave and he sat with them. Draco was sipping his butterbeer, watching Harry out of the corner of his eye. It seemed to take eons before he finally decided on venting the building anger.

"How long?" He asked calmly, but his hands clutched his jeans tightly, knuckles white.

"We got here just last night Harry." Hermione said in a pacifying voice.

"What about Sirius?" His gaze was unrelenting as he switched it between the members of the quilty party.

"I got out of the veil about two weeks ago. First thing I did was go to see Dumbledore." His Godfather spoke warily, trying to assuage Harry's anger before it became unstoppable.

"Did you know?" He looked at Ron, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley. They all relunctantly nodded.

"We wanted to tell you mate, but Professor Dumbledore told us not to." Ron stated quickly, holding up his hands as if to ward off an attacker. Which he could very well have to do.

This time he rounded on Dumbledore, voice still deadly calm, "And why did no one tell me?"

"I did not know how you would react." Dumbledore said sagely, tilting his head back.

"Was that the only reason?" Harry's voice had suddenly become the calm before the metaphorical storm, holding raw power as he spoke.

"Yes and no." Their eyes met for a split second before Harry lost hold of his temper.

"**HE IS MY GODFATHER**!** I THINK I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW**!" He stood up, slamming his hands on the table.

"Harry dear-" Mrs. Weasley began, but Harry paid no heed to her as he continued venting his frustration on the Headmaster.

"**SIRIUS WAS ONE OF THE LAST CONNECTIONS I HAD TO MY PARENTS! AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW I WOULD REACT**?!"

"Essentially." Dumbledore conceded, nodding his head, apparently unfazed about how mad the younger boy was.

"**THAT'S BULL**!** AND ON TOP OF THAT YOU MADE ME STAY AT THE BLOODY DURSLEY'S**!"

Draco and Hermione saw the goblets start to shake on the table as Harry's control on his magic lessened. Their eyes met and they silently agreed that it was best for him to ride out his anger for now.

"**AND ON TOP OF_ THAT_ YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT MY GRANDPARENTS**!** MY MOTHER'S PARENTS**!"

Sirius looked up sharply, "Mr. and Mrs. Evans are still alive?" He questioned queitly, turning to look at Dumbledore.

"Yes." He replied simply to the question. Hermione gasped and looked at Ron who appeared surprised. Draco smirked as he sipped from his goblet.

"**YES THEY'RE BLOODY ALIVE**!** I COULD OF JUST AS EASILY GONE TO THEM INSTEAD OF THE DURSLEY'S**!"

"Your grandfather was in Slytherin. I did not deem him trustworthy under the circumstances." Dumbledore said, steepling his hands under his chin. The bushy haired girl gasped again, hand flying to her mouth. Ron's jaw had hit the floor had dropped.

"**SO WAS SNAPE**!"

"_Professor_ Snape." Mrs. Weasley said reprovingly. Harry didn't seem to hear her again.

"And see where that decision got me?" He said, admitting his fault.

"**I DON'T CARE**!** YOU GAVE ME TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL FOR THE PAST SIXTEEN YEARS**!** AND THAT STILL DOESN'T TELL ME WHY YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT THEM**!"

"Because you would of wanted to go to them."

"**OF COURSE I WOULD**!** AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT SIRIUS WAS MY GODFATHER FOR THAT SAME REASON! SEE WHERE THAT GOT YOU**?!"

Mrs. Weasley stood up, "You will not speak to the Headmaster that way!"

"No, Molly, he has a good reason to." Dumbledore said and Sirius nodded.

"Of course he does!" He echoed the Headmaster.

"**HOW COME YOU ALWAYS KEEP THE IMPORTANT THINGS FROM ME**?!** YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT REMUS AT ALL EITHER**!" Harry started to breath heavily, his side was starting to spasm with pain again. He had a bad feeling that the gash had reopened _again_ when he felt warm liquid on his side.

Draco saw him flinch and raise his hand reflexively to his side, before dropping it. As mad as they both were at Dumbledore, he did not want to have Harry be in more pain then necessary.

"Potter. Calm down." He said in a voice that usually brooked no arguement, Hermione looked at Draco, brows furrowing together in thought, Harry turned to look at him slowly.

"**I WILL NOT BLOODY CALM DOWN**! **HE'S MADE ME RETURN TO THE DURSLEY'S EVERY YEAR**! **I'M SICK AND TIRED OF IT**!"

"Harry, you won't have to go there ever again." Hermione said calmly, trying to appease his still present anger. He turned sharply to look at her, and suddenly had to grab the table as a dizzy spell hit.

"Harry mate, what's wrong?" Ron stood up and watched as his friend started to wobble on his feet.

"I'm. . . I'm fine . . ." Harry's voice was as steady as his feet were at that moment.

"You don't look like it Harry, dear." Mrs. Weasley said, following her son's example and standing.

"Harry?" Sirius almost jumped over the table when his godson visibly swayed, but stopped when Draco stood up and supported him by wrapping his arms around Harry's waist.

"See what you did? You reopened it." He said coldly, but was as hypocritical as his kiss had been when he gently guided Harry back to the seat, where the smaller boy did not move from his position of leaning against the blonde.

"Reopened what?" Hermione asked and everyone, Dumbledore included, looked worried.

"Stab wounds." Draco said simply, and Ron pulled out his wand, holding it at the ready.

"I knew you were no good Malfoy!"

"Ronald! Put that away this instant!" His mother broke in, glaring at him. Hermione matched her glare, and added logic.

"Would Harry lean against him if he caused it Ron?" She asked placidly despite the hard look she was giving him.

"Well, no, I guess not..." He trailed off and put his wand away a bit reluctantly.

"Good to see you can see sense," Draco sneered before turning his attention to back to Harry, who had mumbled something, "What did you say?"

"Let Hermione see it." He said a little stronger and Hermione was instantly at his side.

He lifted his shirt and, with Draco's help, took off the bandages. It was obvious that he had lost dangerous amounts of blood. Sirius cursed loudly and banged his hand on the table. Dumbledore looked surprised. Mrs. Weasley had gone green and looked ready to faint, but was able to sit down before that happened.

"Bugger, Harry. How long have you had this?" Ron asked, sitting down beside his mother heavily.

"Since before Malfoy got to my house." Harry assured him, hissing when Hermione prodded his side.

"This looks like it was close to being infected. How did you get this?" Hermione asked incredulously, quickly casting the antibacterial charm that Madam Pomfrey had showed her. Harry didn't answer, but Draco did, not caring if Harry got mad at him for telling everyone present what he had obviously kept hidden.

"His _uncle_." He spat out the single word as if it was worse then all the curse words combined. Mrs. Weasley went pale and so did Ron. Even Dumbledore looked ashamed.

But Sirius' reaction was the worst. He swore colorfully, banged his hand on the table again and started to pace angrily. Mrs. Weasley didn't do anything other than throw him a reproachful look for his language. Finally he rounded on Draco, looking for answers.

"Why didn't you heal it?" He growled out.

"I can't heal broken bones, or an infection." Draco met his eyes and saw the anger he felt smoldering in his own grey eyes mirrored in the dark one's of Harry's Godfather.

"Malfoy's right. There's at least one broken rib." Hermione cast the charm to set them in place and healed them. Then she turned her attention to the knife wounds.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Sirius continued his interrogation, and Ron was eagerly awaiting the answers.

"I just found out last night." Draco ground out between his teeth.

"How did you find out?" Ron broke in.

"He got into an argument with his aunt and it came out." He glanced down at Harry, who hissed in pain again when Hermione prodded a bit not too gently.

That shut both of them up and Draco turned his attention to Harry, he was biting his bottom lip. Remembering how neither of them had had breakfast, and how the other boy didn't eat right to begin with, he looked back up at Mrs. Weasley.

"He hasn't been eating right. I assume you know of this?"

She nodded and jumped up, immediately setting to making breakfast for all of them. Sirius joined Draco in supporting Harry, while Hermione cast the spell to completely heal the ugly gashes. Once she had backed up, Sirius sat beside Harry, and Draco relinquished his hold reluctantly. But no one saw the hesitance.

"Thanks Hermione." Harry smiled at her, and she smiled right back.

"No problem." She didn't ask the question on all their minds and she stepped on Ron's foot when he looked like he would. She threw a look at Draco, telling him that she would corner him later.

Not too much longer Mrs. Weasley put some reheated stew in front of everyone. Harry started to eat his without too much relish, but after a look Draco gave him, he pretended to enjoy it. Dumbledore dug into his quickly and so did Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, eating slower. Mrs. Weasley just fretted about them. Sirius ate quickly, talking between every other bite.

"I was given a trial," he took a bite, "It was only a couple of months there," he gulped some down, "but time flows differantly on the other side of the veil." He shrugged.

"A trial?" Harry looked up at him, happiness infusing his entire being as he did so. This wasn't a dream. His Godfather was sitting right beside him.

"Yea, to see if I was worth sending back." He took another bite.

"What happened at it?" Ron asked from across them, before cramming more food into his mouth.

"I can't remember too much." Sirius shrugged.

"What happened after you were sent back?" Hermione looked at him curiously, mentally taking notes.

"Well, the Ministry cleared my name!" Sirius said happily, jumping in his seat.

"That's great!" Harry exclaimed happily, not even trying to refuse when Mrs. Weasley gave him seconds.

"Yea. You can keep the house and Kreacher, Merlin knows I don't want him." Sirius said, not paying attention to the look Hermione sent him.

"Wow. Thanks." He replied unenthusiastically.

"But enough about me. What about you? You had to spend the last two weeks with Draco at the Dursley's?"

Harry nodded, and tried to hide the small blush that leapt to his face, "Yea, I did."

"I bet it was really bad." Sirius said teasingly.

"I resent that." Draco looked at him from where he was getting second's from Ron's mom.

"Oh well." Sirius said, smirking. A sudden thought occurred to Harry.

"Does Remus know?" He looked at his Godfather curiously.

"No." Sirius sighed, dejected.

"When will he find out?" Harry said between bites of stew.

"How about we tell everyone at the meeting tonight?" Dumbledore queried quietly from where he sat.

"Will Remus be there?" Sirius looked at him hopefully and the Headmaster nodded.

"Now Harry-" He began, but said boy cut him off.

"I know, I know, I can't go, I'm underage." He sighed, trying to keep his shoulder's from drooping in disappointment.

"Actually, I believe it is time we told everyone of the prophecy," Dumbledore said instead, and everyone looked startled at the mention of it, "And since you are part of it, you should be there."

"Really?" For a split second Harry felt his world turn upside down. He didn't want Ron and Hermione to know. He had kept it from them for this reason. Glancing at his elderly mentor, he decided that he was only trying to make amends.

"Yes." Dumbledore smiled benignly.

"Awesome!" Ron cheered, Hermione smiled, Mrs. Weasley looked worried, Sirius looked enthusiastic, and Draco just sedately ate his stew.

"Now there is one other problem which I have come to discuss. We will need a Potions teacher, and a Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher."

Harry saw Draco pause with the spoon halfway to his mouth, but it continued its journey after a millisecond. He frowned when he saw the stoic look on the other's face. Snape was Draco's Godfather, wasn't he? He looked at Sirius and realized he knew pretty much how Draco was feeling. Setting his spoon down, he turned his attention back to what was going on.

"Now Sirius, I belief you had gotten an 'Outstanding' on both your O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. for the Potions portion."

"Yea." He shrugged, not looking up from his bowl.

"How would you like to take the position of Hogwarts Potions Master?" The twinkle was back in Dumbledore's eyes.

The stew that had been in Sirius' mouth ended up hitting the front of Ron's shirt. He looked down at the mess in disgust and Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes and shook her head. Hermione, through her giggles, was able to cast a _Scourgify_ to clean the clothe.

"Me? Potions Master?" He stammered out.

"Him? Teach?" Harry said at the same time.

"Yes. I will be offering the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts position to Remus tonight. I'm sure you two could easily collaborate on some of your classes."

"But what about that law Umbridge had passed? About half breeds not being able to take jobs?" Harry interjected before Dumbledore could continue.

"The Minister decided that under the circumstances, and the parents' petition, that having a competent teacher was imperative." He said, handing his empty bowl to Mrs. Weasley with a 'thank you'.

"So we'll have Remus as a teacher this year?" Ron asked hopefully from where he sat.

"Possibly." Was the enigmatic reply.

After that the day passed uneventfully. They spent the entire morning reuniting with each other. Ron and Hermione were there because Dumbledore had asked them to come keep an eye on the place in Harry's stead. They had been as surprised as Harry that Sirius had been there, but they had been calmer about it. Harry apoligized for his outburst, but they forgave him, seeing as how nothing dangerous had happened, except the wound reopening. After a few hours, not long before lunch, Harry had finally dozed off. Draco, who had been sitting beside the dark haired boy quietly all morning, gave everyone a look that explicitly told them that no one was going to be waking him up.

"He hasn't been sleeping. I'm sure no one will wake him from his much deserved rest." He sneered at them and sipped at the butterbeer he had.

"How has the last two weeks been, my boy?" Dumbledore asked from the head of the table, his blackened hand hidden from view.

"Dull. Potter had to play relay the whole time so I wouldn't hex them." Draco had debated telling them about the puzzle he had almost completed, but almost instantaneously decided against it.

"You should of." Ron scoffed from across the table. He had made it painfully clear that he did not trust the Malfoy under any circumstances and that it wasn't going to change until Draco proved himself.

Draco wasn't going to bother trying.

"I hung the fat one upside down for almost a half hour at least once." He said simply, smirking at the memory.

"Dudley Dursley." Hermione supplied from over the edge of the book she was reading.

"Yes, that one." He drawled lazily. Everyone was quiet for a few more minutes, the only sound being Mrs. Weasley making lunch. Sirius was the one who broke it, supporting Harry's weight as he asked the question that had been on everyone's minds since Harry had almost passed out from blood loss.

"Why didn't he tell anyone? Why didn't he tell me?" He asked almost hopelessly.

"I assume he did not want you to know how bad it was for him. He did not want pity." Draco said scathingly, knowing exactly how that felt.

"We wouldn't of pitied him!" Ron said rebelliously and crossed his arms. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we would of to a degree." She said simply. Ron looked on the verge of disagreeing, but changed the subject wisely.

"Hmph. Do you know how long this has been going on?"

Draco took a few minutes to consider that, "It's not my place to tell you-" He didn't sneer, "-It's Harry's choice. Not mine." He glanced at the boy cradled in his godfather's arms. For a split second he was filled with jealousy, but he realized that Sirius was probably one of the few things in Harry's life that was a constant, along with Ron and Hermione. He needed that.

"Professor," He looked towards Dumbledore, who nodded for him to continue, "What did you mean by that note you sent the day before yesterday? The part concerning Harry."

"That my boy, is not _my_ place to tell you." Dumbledore said sagely. Draco noticed Ron's and Hermione's curious looks that they sent to each other, before turning to Draco.

"What do you mean Malfoy?" Hermione asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Professor Dumbledore sent us a letter day before yesterday. He told Harry that, and I quote, 'The blood that others spilled for you, does not mean you must repay them with your own.'" He frowned when he realized he would usually of been sneering and insulting them. He glanced at Harry again and decided that the boy changed people.

Hermione paled, and Sirius looked at him sharply. Ron was confused, and Dumbledore's blue eyes trinkled merrily. Draco met her's squarely.

"I came to one conclusion. No others seemed to fit considering the circumstances." He affirmed and she gasped quietly. The redhead looked ready to blow a fuse when his own question went unanswered.

"Will someone tell me what is bloody going on?!" He said loudly.

"Ron! Language!" Mrs. Weasley admonished from the cooking area, not being able to hear what was going on.

"We think it means Harry has been cutting himself!" She whispered loudly enough for Draco to hear across the table and the color left Ron's face.

"Blimey. You think so?" He asked quietly, anger leaving him at the words.

"Yes. Considering how he was feeling at the end of the year, I believe it." She said, sipping her butterbeer.

"What makes you think that?" Sirius asked, looking at Draco seriously.

"He wouldn't let me see his arm for one. Even when I was healing some cuts he got on his hands from gardening." He replied calmly.

"Wake him up and ask!" Ron said suddenly, and Draco glared at him.

"No. That would make him either mad, or upset. I doubt you want either." He sneered this time for the added effect. He backed down, and Harry remained sleeping, peacefully unaware of what was occurring around him.

It was quiet for a while again. This time it was a tense and awkward silence. Sirius held his godson even more carefully then before. Hermione returned to her book, but Draco noticed that she didn't turn the pages, or move her eyes. Ron grumbled under his breath. This time Dumbledore broke the silence and they all looked at him gratefully, except Draco and Harry. One was asleep, the other looked cold.

"Have you two decided what you were going to do now?" He asked from over the rim of his goblet.

"We have. We will be going to one of the Malfoy Manors." Draco made to keep going, but was cut off.

"No! Harry would hate that! You're coming to the Burrow!" Ron said loudly, and Hermione shot him another glare.

"Ron! Let him finish!" Hermione interjected before he could continue on a rant.

"Yes, let me finish Weasley," They shared a glare for a moment, before contineing with his answer, without interruption, "Harry and I have discussed this. He was going to invite the entire Weasley family, and Granger, to come. I'm sure I could find room for his godfather as well."

Mrs. Weasley had come close enough to hear the last bit and beamed happily, "We'ld love to Draco dear! Thank you for the gracious invitation."

Sirius looked at him startled, but smiled broadly as well, "I'ld like that. Get me out of this place at least."

"Harry would not of agreed to anything else. I was even going to have his grandparents over for a birthday party." Draco said emotionlessly, as if he would rather be doing anything else, but by the grin Hermione was giving him, she knew better.

"Thank you Malfoy. I'ld love to come. Would you mind if I invite my parents?" She asked, and he nodded graciously.

"Since when did he become Harry?! And there is no way I'm going!" Ron yelled, and Mrs. Weasley glared at him.

"You are Ronald. Draco is kind enough to open his house to us, and we are not going to throw that away. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, mum." He said sullenly.

"Oh, Draco, before I forget," Hermione looked at him and he motioned for her to continue, "Thank you for giving Harry a chance to meet his grandparents. Even if Ron doesn't acknowledge it, I will."

He shrugged and they lapsed into silence again. Not long after Harry woke up for lunch and smiled at Draco, who raised an eyebrow before turning away. Dumbledore didn't move from his spot until about an hour before the meeting was going to start. He looked at them all and spoke calmly.

"Now, remember Harry, we will be telling them of the prophecy." He said, and Ron and Hermione looked startled at the mention of it again.

"But wasn't that destroyed at the Ministry that night?" She asked calmly.

"Everything will be explained. Do not worry Ms. Granger." He said wisely and none of them opposed him. The members were starting to arrive for the meeting, and Sirius went with Harry and Draco to the upstairs study to wait for when they were called down. They were the first order of business.

Reviews Responses:

Yellowwolf: Here is ur update. Thanks for reading!

victorya71: glad u like it. here's the update, and I will keep them coming, with hopefully minimal breaks.

black lilyrose: thanks for ur approval, and i will carry on as i plz :P

Crowley Black: Yes, Sirius. Can't have the story without Sirius. And i'm glad u love the story.

Kiasidira Ixari: Complicated name. . . anyway, I have actually read the majority of the ones you reccommended, except for 'Harry's Baby Boy,' "Honor, Love, and Dignity", maybe "Wicked', and I tried reading 'A Consort's Loyalty'. And I love the Sacrifice Arc by Lightning on the Wave. And i'll make sure to check out ur site when i get a chance, i might of come across it once. And i love 'Black Truth', tried reading it to my little brother but he would have none of it. Thanks for ur review, and the reccomendations, i'll have to check out a few. . .wonders off to read the stories

Akira-sama: respectfullyAh, I'm so thankful to my thankful reveiwers. I am glad you enjoyed the update, any suggestions or criticism would be welcomed, Akira-sama. And ur name reminds me of a character off an anime called 'Princess, Princess', just took me awhile to place it.

MaotherGooseFan: glad u find it amazing. :)

bookworm3213: hello fellow bookworm, and yes, evil cliffie monster go bye bye to be followed by an abundance of suspence!

Tarkemelhion: Yes, Sirius is alive, I couldn't help it, he is my favorite after all. And of course u didn't c it coming, I left no hints at all!purposely acting snotty

Mihri: Smiles brightly arigatou! glad u like it so far!

Black Firelight: smiling and blushingI'm glad u like my story. I'll make sure to put warnings on the chapters with the heavier slash and to take out any graphic scenes I might write, and have people access them in another way, if u want me to. This story will mainly be fluff though.

CosmoMontana: thx, I will keep on writing! If you keep on reading and reviewing!

MissBehavior: Yes, Sirius is alive and well. And yes, Draco is perfect, but he's grown up a lot and out of his father's shadow.

Everbloom-Kestrel: lol, yes, Sirius is alive, and staying that way. And here's ur update.

InuhanyouLafiel: glad u liked it, keep reading

A/N: Guys, I like to personalize my review responses so I don't feel like I'm repeating myself. Plz put comments, opinions, and suggestions so that I can do that. After all, reviews allow me to connect to my readers and I want to be able to have something to say to you beside thx and keep reading.

**_This Week's Recommendation Goes To:_**

_Checkmate_  
Author: Naadi  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: T


	8. Eight: Prophecy

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

No warnings for this chapter.

**Chapter 8:**

**Prophecy**

Sirius sat by the window, bouncing in his chair from excitement as he watched who entered the house. Draco stood leaning against the doorframe and watching the darkhaired teen out of the corner of his eye. Harry was at the desk, unwilling to move. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours and he still hadn't fully comprehended all of it. He had met his grandparents, which had hit him not long after they left. The fact that Draco had invited them _for_ him was still festering in the back of his mind. His aunt was a squib and that explained alot. That information had already been filed away.

It was the events of that morning and on. His cousin had molested him, and he had done nothing to stop it. He couldn't stop his fat muggle cousin. Harry rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes. This was one thing that still seemed like a dream. What made it more of a dream was the fact that Malfoy, _Draco_ Malfoy had stopped Dudley and been angry at what he had done to Harry.

Why had he done that? Harry couldn't figure out why. He could remember taking one look into those deep, grey eyes and breaking down. He rarely allowed himself the luxury of tears, but one look at Malfoy and the way his forehead was creased in anger and worry, had him destroying another barrier. What was it about him that had Harry doing that? Slytherin's had a self preservation instinct, but Draco had jumped in to protect Harry.

Weak, pitiful Harry.

And then there was that vision. He still had to tell Dumbledore about it. Harry had mentioned it twice and both times he would get the reply that he would ask about it later. Here he was trying to warn Dumbledore, but Dumbledore would just say 'later', was that how much value he put into Harry's warning?

"I see him! I see Moony!" Sirius broke through Harry's thoughts before they could take another turn for the worse.

"Moony?" Draco raised an eyebrow, repressing a smile.

"It's Remus' nickname. Sirius' is either Padfoot or Snuffles." Harry said quietly, not wanting to raise his voice too much.

"What about your dad's? What was his?" Sirius stopped moving when the question passed Draco's lips and turned to watch Harry cautiously.

"Prongs. Because of his Animagus." He said, smiling slightly at the look of relief that crossed Sirius' face.

"Professor Lupin because he's a werewolf, Professor Black because his animagus is a black dog and isn't there supposed to be one more?"

"Wormtail, or Peter Pettigrew. His animagus is a rat." Harry supplied.

"He is one! The filthy liar!" Sirius said fiercely from by the window.

Draco watched as Harry's face slowly changed from slightly amused to angry and he didn't have to ask why. He was pretty sure he knew anyway. Shrugging, he moved to stand by Sirius, looking out the window.

"Professor Black, may I ask a question?"

"Being called Professor will take a while. Go ahead." He waved his hand flippantly and Harry chuckled at the superior look he attempted.

"What do you plan on teaching us this year?" Draco smirked when a slightly panicked look crossed his face.

"Damn! I don't know!" He started to bite a fingernail.

"Sirius . . . err . . . Professor Black, just look in our Potions textbook." Harry said, derailing Draco before he could set his godfather into a fullblown panic attack. Draco pouted at him, Harry just rolled his eyes.

"Really? That would be so much easier!" He stated happily. There was a knock on the door before Hermione entered.

"Alright, everyone's here. You guys ready?" She looked at them with a measuring look and Harry nodded.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He grinned at her.

"I want to see Moony!" Sirius jumped from his chair.

"Let's just go." Draco crossed his arms.

They walked out of the room and into the kitchen where everyone was assembled. Harry was first and spotted all of the Weasley family, minus Percy and Ginny. Dumbledore was sitting at the head of the table, talking quietly with Mad-Eye Moody. Remus was standing in a corner drinking from a goblet. He looked even worse then he had before. His brown clothing was rattier and there were bags under his eyes. He managed a smile for Harry before turning away.

Draco was after him and a hush filled the room when he entered. It was quickly dispersed when Dumbledore stood up. All eyes turned to him, and Harry realized that Sirius hadn't entered the room yet. Hermione stood in front of the closed door.

"Now, I believe that before we continue on with the meeting there is someone who I would like you all to reacquaint yourselves with. A year and a half ago Voldemort and his followers broke into the Ministry of Magic, the Department of Mysteries," Remus looked up startled, hope flashed across his face for the barest of seconds before he shook his head and dispelled it, "He was there for a prophecy, which he believed would tell him how to defeat Harry. But his plan was . . .

debroomed, if I may say. We lost a very important member that night. But somehow, he was able to return. Ms. Granger, let him in."

Hermione opened the door and Sirius walked in. There was a clamor of congratulations, but his dark eyes searched the crowd restlessly, looking for someone. There was a crash as the goblet Remus had been holding fell and he started forward slowly. The crowd parted for him, like the Red Sea for Moses, or the masses for Merlin, and Harry saw tears fill his eyes. Sirius didn't move, but his eyes widened when he saw how bad the other man looked.

Finally Remus stood before the other Maurader. He reached up and touched the face with both of his hands.

"P-Padfoot? S-Sirius?" He whispered, as if unwilling to wake up from a dream.

"It's me, Remus. Moony" Sirius replied just as quietly.

Remus leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Sirius' neck, burrowing his face in the crook of his shoulder. For a split second Sirius looked surprised, but only for that split second. He wrapped his arms around the brown haired man, smiling a bit watery.

"I've missed you so much." The werewolf choked out.

"I've missed you too, Remus."

Harry looked away embarrassed. His eyes met with Draco's and he smiled when he saw the small blush no one else would be able to see. Draco just raised an eyebrow before looking away.

After a couple of minutes, when they finally parted and sat down by Ron and Hermione, Dumbledore spoke again. What he said this time had everyone looking at each other in shock and amazement.

"Unfortunately for Voldemort, his plan was ruined. The prophecy was lost to him. But not to us. You see, the one the Ministry had was a copy. The original is in here," He tapped his head, "And it is time everyone knew it."

This time everyone turned to Harry, who stood his ground, back straight as he met everyone's eyes squarely. He wasn't going to back down. They needed him to be strong. So he pushed the whole matter with Dudley and Draco to the back of his head. There was no need to be that way. He was never going to see his muggle relatives again. They held no power over him.

Dumbledore started talking again, "Now, Mr. Potter there knows the prophecy and knows exactly what it entails. Would you like him to tell you, or shall I?" He looked around at everyone, who turned back to Harry.

"Let's hear it from the boy." Mad-Eye said and there was a murmur of agreement.

Draco watched as Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, surprised. He guessed that they didn't know about it at all, which, knowing how the dark haired teen was, made perfect sense. Even he knew that Harry had a major hero complex and in situations like this fit his character perfectly. He just leaned against the wall and listened as the other boy's confident and strong voice filled the room. It sounded nothing like the broken one from this morning.

"Before I was born, Professor Dumbledore had gone to see Sibyll Trelawney about a teaching position at the school. At first he had just thought that she was a fraud. But then she told him something, which still stands today and Voldemort takes a great importance in."

Harry made a good leader. Draco saw that instantly. It was in the way he stood and talked. He demanded respect, but he gave respect in return when he met everyones' eyes respectively. He spoke to everyone in the room and made sure that no one was left out or behind.

This was what Voldemort did. He changed people just like Harry did. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way. But they changed people nonetheless. Draco frowned imperceptively when he came to that conclusion.

"Everyone thought that it was smashed in the Department of Mysteries, but that was only a record. A copy. Dumbledore knew it. And he showed it to me," He paused again, pulling things together from his memory. When he spoke again his voice was stronger, "The prophecy says that 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.'"

His and Dumbledore's eyes met. The older man nodded slightly, and Harry went on.

"It was a toss up between Neville Longbottom and me. He chose me because he thought Lily Evans was a mudblood, which would make me a halfblood, like him. He killed them, like he killed so many others, my mother died protecting me," He met everyone's eyes as he continued, "That protection saved my life and I was marked as his equal. And I am, in so many ways. I can speak Parseltongue, that was given to me when he tried to kill me. My wand has a feather from the same pheonix as his does. When he gave me this scar-" He pushed the hair out of the way, "-He marked me as his adversary. As the one who would go against him in the final battle. As the only one who could kill him. He did not know the last part, only that the one 'with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord would be born as the seventh month dies.'"

Everyone was silent for several long minutes. Harry met Ron's and Hermione's eyes. Mad-Eye Moody stood up, watching him and Draco warily, the magic eye turned on them for a second before spinning around.

"What about this power?" He asked.

"The love my mother had for me. That saved my life from the one curse in which no one has ever survived." Harry said calmly. Someone else stood up when the ex-auror sat down. It was an active auror, Kingsley, if he remembered correctly.

"Does this mean that either you or him will live?"

"Yes. It's a battle that only one of us can walk away from."

Harry was smart, he conceded. He was giving everyone a chance to clear up something that they might not of fully understood. That was one differance between him and Voldemort. Voldemort gave orders, no explanations, no reasons, but if you didn't do exactly what he wanted you were essentially dead meat.

"Professor Dumbledore mentioned that thanks to your connection with You-Know-Who, you have flashes of what he's feeling and thinking. Anything recent?" Someone who Harry didn't recognize asked from the back.

"Yes. That's one of the main reasons I'm here. Early this morning, around two or three o'clock, he dropped the barriers that usually keeps us seperated. He didn't mean to and I doubt he even knows it happened, but I was sucked into his consciousness," He paused and glanced at Draco, who was watching him intently, giving his silent support, "Someone had just given a good report. Something that made him extremely happy."

"What was it?" This time it was the metamorphmagus Nymphadora Tonks, with bright purple hair.

"I don't know. But he is going to go after the Minister, Rufus Scrimgoer, and Professor Dumbledore. Then he's going to come after me."

No one spoke. They looked to each other, all of them unaware of what they should do or say. Sirius and Remus looked at each other, faces filled with concern. Mad-Eye climbed to his feet again.

"What's with the blonde?" He asked Harry directly.

"This is Draco Malfoy." Several people gasped at the surname of one of the more prominent Death Eaters. Draco stepped forward and bore his pale and unmarked forarms. Unmarked except for the patch of burned flesh on his left arm.

"I am not my father," He said venomously unmasking the hatred he felt for the Malfoy patriarch, "He is a madman, obsessed with killing Harry. When I turned my back on him, the mark was burned off my skin. It will not heal."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" The ex-auror was watching them suspiciously. Dumbledore made no move to speak up.

"Why would Voldemort want to hurt him?" Harry asked in return. Hermione and Ron relaxed, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"What are you talking about?"

"Everytime me and Voldemort share one body, I'm stuck with his impulses for a while afterward. The first time it happened, and Mr. Weasley's life was saved, it was Nagini's instinct. That meant I had the urge to bite Professor Dumbledore and poison him. This time the urge was for Draco, who had betrayed him totally."

Harry didn't like telling them this much, Draco could tell, but he needed to. He would need their trust for if he ever had to tell them something they wouldn't like. It was a give and take situation.

Mad-Eye sat back down. And Dumbledore stood back up, drawing all eyes to him instantly and off of Harry.

"It seems we have returned to square one yet again. I will go and inform the Minister of these developments. He is still unaware of who Tonks and Shacklebolt are, and that they are a part of the Order. I would say we have no more to discuss. All of you return to your original assignments. Ah, Remus, a word if you please." Remus sat back down beside Sirius as everyone except the Weasley's, Harry, Draco, Hermione, and Sirius left.

Harry sat down across from Sirius, and Draco sat down beside him, across from Remus. Ron and Hermione were sitting near Dumbledore with the rest of the Weasley family. Bill and Mr. Weasley had automatically jumped into a discussion on something, with Charlie and Fleur making random comments. Fred and George were showing off some of their recent inventions under the reproachful, but slightly proud, gaze of their mother.

"Remus, I wanted to ask if you would be willing to take up the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. I asked Sirius if he would be willing to take the position of Potions teacher." Dumbledore asked the werewolf calmly.

"But what about that law?" Remus asked in confusion, glancing at his old school friend.

"It was reversed, naturally. You see, the parents want, what they call, a competent teacher for their children this year. And it appears that they only learned anything in your class." He supplied with obvious amusement.

"Are you going to Sirius?" Remus looked at the man sitting with him.

"Yes, I am." He replied proudly.

"Well, I guess I will as well then." He looked at Dumbledore and nodded.

"Cool! We get Remus as a teacher again!" Ron cheered.

"It's Professor Lupin now, Ron. And Professor Black." Hermione spoke up.

"I'm going to have to get used to that name again." Remus said calmly, and Sirius nodded.

"I have to get used to it period." he laughed.

"I will leave you all now. See you at start of term." Dumbledore said, standing up from where he was seated. Everyone said their goodbyes and Mrs. Weasley set about making dinner.

"Hey, Sirius, you and Draco are second cousins, right?" Harry asked, and Draco looked up slowly.

"Yea. His mom, Narcissa, is my cousin." Sirius replied before turning back to Remus.

"So I'm related to Sirius Black." Draco said matter of factly, looking at Harry.

"Yea. Come here and I'll show you."

With that they left the kitchen and into the drawing room on the first floor. On one wall stood a tapastry, with several small burns near the bottom, roughly the size a cigarette would make. Kneeling down Harry pointed to where a burn was, beside the name REGULUS BLACK.

"That's where his name should be. But his mother veiwed him as a blood traitor and not fit to be her son, so she took his name off. Here's your mum and your aunts," Harry moved to the names beside his. Another burn mark was between Bellatrix and Narcissa, "Andromeda should of been on here, but she married Ted Tonks, and had Nymphadora Tonks. She's your cousin too," This time he moved his finger to the golden thread connection between Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy and led down to Draco, "Here's you and your family."

"Mother never spoke of being related to the Blacks." Draco said quietly, kneeling down beside Harry, considering the golden thread.

Harry stayed quiet. They stayed like that for several long minutes. Finally they heard the door open and close. Harry stood up and Draco stood up slowly beside him, eyes never leaving his name on the tapestry.

"I hear that being related to blood traitors is new to you." Sirius said kindly from by the door, and the blonde teen turned to face him.

"Mother never told me she was originally a Black." He repeated quietly.

"I'm not surprised," Sirius said viciously and went to stand next to him. Harry moved to by the door, "She hated it. Especially after her sister married a muggle."

"Why aren't you like the rest of your family?" Draco looked up at the taller man and Harry smiled, seeing the unsure look that was hidden under his usual mask.

"I don't know. It must of had something to do with me being put in Gryffindor and meeting James and Remus." He shrugged his shoulders and kneeled down, looking at the names, and memories.

"You know, children don't have to follow what their parents tell them to do. If we did, I would probably be a Death Eater. Or just not in the Order and support Voldemort like my parents did," Sirius continued, "I wouldn't of met the people I did, I wouldn't of become Harry's godfather. I wouldn't be the person I am today. We all choose what our lives will be like, for good or bad. Not our parents. In the end, they only hold as much power as you give them. It's like choosing the people we love. Our parents hold no power over our heart." He looked up at Draco, who was just staring at the tapestry, listening.

Harry leaned against the doorframe and continued to smile. Draco needed this. Whether he admitted it or not, he needed the reassurance that he hadn't made a mistake. Sirius was giving that to him, knowingly or not. After a couple of minutes of silence, the older man stood up and faced Draco, who was about as tall as him.

"I came in here to ask you and Harry something."

"What is it?" He replied in kind.

"Since you guys are going to a Malfoy Manor, there should be room for one more on your list of invitations, right?" Sirius rubbed the back of his head. Harry watched them, waiting for Draco's answer.

"Let's see, five Weasley's, Fred and George have their own apartment, same with Bill, Granger, and then you. That's seven. Who do you want to come?" He glanced at Harry, who was looking happier by the second.

"Remus. It's been so long since we've really talked, and I know Harry wants to see him for an extended amount of time." He had Draco at the mention of what Harry might want.

"Well," He started in an attempt to appear nonchalant, "I don't see why not. As long as Harry agrees." Sirius looked at Harry.

"Of course he can come!" He said happily, looking at Draco.

"Great! I'll ask Remus!" Sirius bounded out of the room, leaving them alone again.

"Thanks Draco." Harry stepped forward to stand by the taller teen.

"Don't. I'm just doing what my parents never would." He replied, looking down and making eye contact.

"I see, getting a rebellious streak now?" He chuckled lightly, smiling.

"You could say that." Draco ran his hand through his hair, smirking.

"I think dinner's almost done." Harry said, blushing lightly.

"Alright. And make sure you sleep tonight."

"Why?" He looked at Draco in confusion, stopping midway to the door.

"Because you have no excuse not to." He told him, moving to by Harry.

"I'll try to sleep." Harry conceded, nodding.

"Alright. Now let's go."

They left the room and headed towards the kitchen again, where everyone was talking enthusiastically about going to a Malfoy Manor. Draco ended up having to invite the twins and Bill for Harry's birthday party the following week. On top of that he would have to deal with them coming for dinner every night.

The last month and a half of summer would prove to be either stressful or amusing to Draco Malfoy.

Review Responses:

njferrell: u know what, i completely agree with u, and i can see where ur coming from. i was actually starting to consider doing that(his own side thingy), but i wasn't positive about it yet. and about him back talking, notice how he ignored her, when all other times he would of at least looked a little ashamed, even if his anger doesn't abate? he didn't take note of it. maybe when he's more comfortable with the idea of backtalking, than he will. and his trust in dumbledore is nonexistent now, it comes up in a later chapter in a conversation with draco.(wow . . . i talk a lot)

Lady Of Azkaban: thx, glad u like it so far. :)

Derenged and Sarcastic: i'm gonna have a little side chapter(kinda like an intermission or an interlude) with remus and sirius where the trial is addressed. glad u liked it! and i'll update soon, don't worry. I love ur name btw, sounds like something either my friend or i would call ourselves.

Tarkemelhion: innocentlyme? a ninja? i don't know where u got the idea!hiding the mask and shuriken-pen and i was actually planning for harry to cook draco dinner once more before they go back to hogwarts. (don't u just love how i give away the best parts of my stories?)

thebunnyvenger: thx for ur review, thebunnyvenger. and i'll make sure to get the next chapter done in about a week, since i've been trying to update once a week.

RRW: I congratulate you on how literate you sound. I also thank you for the fact that you have given me one of my favorite reviews to date. Not many people tell me that my writing puts them on the edge of their seat. Your wait should not be long either, about a week, give or take a day or two.

Akira-sama: Really? Was it any good? I haven't found much good anime lately, I have to rely on my sibling to get it for me. Ahh, how I miss the Windy City! Three years you say? I've had the same name since I started this penname, and my email address for about as long too.

CosmoMontana: I can't wait for the end either! Thx a ton for ur review, and plz keep reading!

lucy walker texas ranger: lol, don't worry, i'll make sure that they kiss a few more times. i used to love walker texas ranger! alas, i have trouble finding it where i live, that and Macgyver pouts.

Crowley Black: I love the idea of a Potions Master Sirius. Sounds like something he would be good at, if only for the pranking possibilities.

Egyptianautumn: smiles brightly Thanks! My writing is one of the few things I'm dedicated too, so it's good to know people appreciate it! I love your name, by the way. How did you come up with it?

_**This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_Conquering the Darkness_  
Author: cappie  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: T


	9. Nine: Outburst

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Just a little kiss near the end is all, and a hint.

A/N: Hopefully this chapter is heartwarming.

**Chapter 9:**

**Revelations**

The Weasley family, Hermione within their ranks, left not long after dinner. Mrs. Weasley assured the two boys that she would be there in the morning to make them all breakfast. Sirius grumbled that he could cook, which set Remus off in laughter. The animagus just pouted. Hermione giggled and Flooed with the rest. Harry instantly set to doing the dishes in an attempt to keep his mind off of a certain blonde bombshell talking with his godfather. Remus leaned against a counter near him and frowned.

"Kreacher can do those." He said, and Harry looked at him blankly.

"This is Kreacher we're talking about, right?"

"You have a point." He sighed.

"If you give him exact orders with a loophole, then he'll take advantage of it." He set a plate aside, in a pile that only needed to be rinsed.

"I know. Why don't you do that now?" Remus looked at him curiously.

"I'm too tired to do that."

"Then go to bed." A dry voice spoke from behind him and Harry looked at Draco in surprise.

"I need to finish the dishes." Harry said a little plaintively. He didn't see Sirius come stand by Remus.

"Tell your house-elf to obey me and I'll tell him to do it." Draco said slowly, as if explaining to a particularly stubborn child. Harry frowned at the tone.

"But-" He started to say, but was cut off.

"Don't make me force you." The Slytherin spoke with power behind his words, meeting the smaller boy's gaze squarely.

Harry looked about ready to explode at him, but a yawn stalled him and he sighed. Calling Kreacher, he told the bitter house-elf in exact words to listen to, and obey, the Malfoy. Once it was sure that the order was across, Draco set him to doing the dishes, drying, and putting them all away in the cabinet, intact, and nowhere else. Then he turned to Harry, and he looked at his godfather.

"Sirius, which rooms are clean?" He asked dejectedly.

"Only two, and they both only have single beds. Sorry." He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

"Is it okay with Professor Lupin for you two to share a bed?" Harry tilted his head slightly in confusion, and Remus instantly broke out in a bright blush when a predatory gleam entered Sirius' eyes. Harry blinked, twice, before his mouth opened in an 'O'. Draco started chuckling when Harry's face brightened considerably as well.

"I'm sure Harry and I can manage, wouldn't want to take you away from your quality time." He said confidently, his voice lowered as he smirked at the two older men and Sirius smiled widely. Remus was too flustered to say anything and allowed himself to be dragged off after the boys were told which room was their's.

"Why did you say that?" Harry blustered as they headed up the stairs, his cheeks could of rivaled a ripe tomato.

"Why do you ask?" Draco said from behind him, covertly admiring the arse in front of him.

"Because I really doubt you want to sleep in the same room as me. Much less the same bed." He shot over his shoulder as he opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

Draco looked over his shoulder, and his jaw dropped. The room was beautifully designed, and an emerald green four-poster bed sat under the middle window on the far wall. The drapes were a pale silver, the silken folds glowing from the light of the fire. The floors were a polished oak, and their trunks lay at the foot of the bed.

"And I thought the Black family was destitute." He whistled in appreciation and went to look in the full length mirror on the closet door.

"So did I." Harry whispered as he felt the cool silk of the bedspread. His eyes were wide in amazement.

"I guess they were able to hold onto some things." Draco said while pulling off his shirt. He saw Harry blush again and look away as he started to fumble with the lock on his trunk.

"Yea, I guess so." He said quietly as he quickly grabbed a shirt with long sleeves,and another pair of shorts. Draco pretended to be more fascinated with his appearance then with Harry, who changed quickly.

"I wonder why." He mused quietly, debating whether or not he should jump the dark-haired teen.

"This was probably Sirius' mum's room, or someone Kreacher thought deserved to have their room kept clean." Harry pulled back the covers on one side of the bed.

"Really?" Draco did the same on the other side, before laying down.

"Yea." Harry climbed in, quickly pulling the blankets up, not bothering to remove his glasses yet.

"I see." Draco murmured as he closed his eyes.

"Goodnight Draco." Harry said quietly, only receiving a mumble in return as the blonde fell asleep. Thoughts were swirling around too quickly in his head to allow himself the luxury, so Harry thought.

Why hadn't he pitched a fit when Sirius had thrown him in a room with Draco? That should have been the first thing he had done. Turning over, his eyes roved over the angular features of the Malfoy heir, frowning, and remembering the events of the last few months. He had turned to the Light, for one, and saved Dumbledore's life, risking disownment from his parents.

When he had come to stay with Harry, Harry had been of mixed emotions. Half of him wanted to believe that he had truly turned, the other half sticking to what he had done over the past six years. None of those acts were easily forgotten, but it seemed as if he was trying to atone for them and redeem himself. Draco had not insulted any of Harry's friends, and was even opening his house for them. He had found Harry's grandparents, and invited them to dinner, he had stuck up for Harry when it came to his cousin and seemed truly angry for what had happened early that morning. Then he had held Harry against his side as Hermione healed the wound from his uncle. And when Draco had told them how he had gotten it, his grip had tightened slightly, and Harry got the distinct feeling that Draco wanted to tear a certain muggle limb from limb.

Harry was on the precipice and he wanted to take the step off the edge. But he couldn't, this was Draco Malfoy. The boy who had made Harry's life a living hell for the past six years. Who had just sneered as Umbridge had started to cast the _Cruciatus_ Curse on him. He couldn't fall in love and he wouldn't let himself. It was too dangerous to do so. People whom he loved, or cared for, had a tendency to get killed.

Draco's lips curved into a smile, albeit a small one, and Harry could hear a sigh as the other boy turned onto his side. Draco was vulnerable in his sleep and that endeared him to Harry. Maybe he wouldn't have another nightmare tonight, but he was too afraid to find out.

His frown deepened. He had slept rather dreamlessly when wrapped in Draco's strong arms. Why hadn't he fought and yelled when he had woken up then? Why had he allowed himself to be kissed that evening in the kitchen and enjoy it immensely? His mind instinctively strayed away from the answers, and he allowed himself to be distracted, but only for a minute.

Harry was too accustomed to using his survival instincts to let a simple matter like this bother him. He forced his mind back to where his attention had started to wonder. And had to keep from swearing aloud.

It didn't stop him mentally though.

Harry had already started to fall, there was no doubt about it. And he knew that there was no way he would be able to stop himself from falling even further. Not for the first time, Harry wished that he hadn't pushed a matter, but instantly rethought that judgement. Now that he knew, he could stop others from finding out.

Draco was the first person to know about what his uncle had done and his reaction had been anger, not pity. Understanding, not misplaced sympathy. And his embraces were so warm and protective. Nothing like Cho's, or Ginny's.

Slowly, Harry reached across the bed and touched Draco's smooth cheek. Instinctively, the blonde leaned into the palm of his hand and that made up Harry's mind for him. He took off his glasses and set them on the table near him, before scooting across the bed and curling up against Draco.

The effect was instantaneous. Pale arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. Harry rested his hand on the other's waist, closing his eyes as sleep overcame him.

He would allow himself to feel, but he would make sure no one knew. Especially the Malfoy heir.

And he would try to stop himself before he fell to much further.

To Draco it only seemed like seconds before he slowly opened his eyes. Yawning he stretched, and glanced at the silver threads of moonlight spreading across the Slytherin green bedspread, but stopped midway when something warm shifted against his chest. Blinking he looked down, and his questing eyes met a sight that had his heart melting within the icy confines of his breast.

Harry was curled up against his chest, and the silky strands of his wild black hair gently framing his face and his full pink lips were parted slightly in slumber. Draco felt the beast in his stomach rear up and roar it's approval when the legs entangled with his own twitched slightly as he dreamed. One arm slung was over Draco's waist while the other was fisted under his chin, his head tilted and baring his throat.

The beast murmured in satisfaction and proceeded to feed his lucid and lewd imagination into Draco's thoughts. He did his best to block out the suggestions, but the images and sounds were far more prominent. But after a minute he stifled the urge to wake Harry up and play them out and turned his attention to the beast inside his abdomen.

Sure, he had agreed with it on occasion, but that didn't mean he was going to put up with its presence until he found out why it was there.

The first time he had felt it, was when Harry had been dragging him to bed just a couple of days ago.

No, wait, that wasn't right. That hadn't been the first time he had felt it. He had been feeling it for years and it was always in connection with the delicate boy sleeping in his arms.

It had started when they had met in Madam Malkin's, except he hadn't known who he was then, had been the very first time. He had felt an obsessive urge to prove himself, and it had followed him through the years, but only to Harry, to the Boy-Who-Lived. Never to his father, his mother, his godfather, or his professors, but to Harry Potter.

Draco suddenly remembered with alarming clarity the events in Umbridge's offices in fifth year. He had actually enjoyed watching what the toad-like women had been doing, up to the point where she had pointed her wand and started to speak the Unforgivable Curse. He had been on the verge of yelling out and stopping her when the Mu-Granger had done it for him. Then it was during the TriWizard tournament and the dragons, the sudden urge to help him, that had him sitting on the edge of his seat. And the maze, when he had suddenly disappeared with Cedric, only to return in tears.

Then it was third year and the escaped criminal who had turned out to be Harry's godfather. He had been pretending to be asleep in his bed in the healing ward, recovering from the broken nose he had gotten and heard every word. The events in the second year, with the Chamber of Secrets, suddenly came to mind. The only person who knew what had happened there was Harry himself. Weasley and Granger might know basic information, but nothing else. Then it was the Quirrell affair in first year. He remembered a vague rumor about the Sorcerer's stone, but not the specifics of it.

Every year something different had happened, but there was something startling in his reactions every time he thought about them. It was an overwhelming emotion he felt, one that had him tightening his grip on Harry, who only frowned before shifting slightly. Years ago, he had thought it was an all consuming hatred, one that had him unwilling to backdown from the challenge that was Harry Potter. There was still the stubborn desire to not back up, but the abhorrence had been reformed in the life changing epiphany that he had had on top of the tower under the Dark Mark.

He ignored the dulled burning sensation coming from his left forearm at the memory, opting to go through the emotions that he had been burying ever since he had stunned his own godfather and gotten him sent to Azkaban. Closing his eyes he remembered that night.

_Snape's limp body hit the stones and he turned back to Dumbledore, who smiled at him knowingly before he waved his wand in a general direction. Within seconds the Headmaster had fallen to his knees and Draco saw a sudden movement from the corner of his eye._

_Potter was dropping a silvery material-an invisibility cloak-onto the ground as he rushed to Dumbledore's side. He barely spared a glance at Draco as he stood by the door, frozen in surprise at his sudden appearance._

_"I'm all right, my boy. I assume your friends are fighting?" He whispered as a particularly loud curse rang up the staircase._

_"Professor . . ." He trailed off as Dumbledore was suddenly caught in a coughing fit, blood landing on the back of his hands. Only then did Potter look up at Draco, standing in the process._

_"Malfoy, keep an eye on him, he's too weak to make it far. I'll go and help everyone else and try to get someone up here to help him." Without waiting for a reply, he ran into the castle, leaving Draco to keep Dumbledore safe from the Death Eaters._

_Numbed, he pointed his wand at the prone figures on the ground, muttering, "_Incarcerous_," as tears rolled down his cheeks and everything he had been raised to believe from childhood was torn down in front of his eyes._

Everything came to a head there. Not even hours later, the Dark Mark had begun to burn until it had been seared away. It had yet to stop, or begin healing. Only the Dark Lord's fall would let that happen, if at all.

But that wasn't the reason he had started the whole soul search in the first place. He wanted to know the origins of the emotions that had come full force that night, when Potter had run off into danger without a second thought.

He gasped, the feeling of getting punched in the solar plexus all too real for his liking.

It all came round to Po-no, Harry. He first felt it when they met at Madam Malkin's. And it was there every time he thought of him, or saw him, but now that he was in constant contact with him, it was only when he started to feel jealous or protective of Harry.

Draco shook his head furiously, denying all rational arguments. There was just no way it could be true. This was the Gryffindor Golden Boy who-

He stopped mid thought.

There had _never_ been the Gryffindor Golden Boy, but _Harry Potter_. The boy who now lay curled up in his arms, seeking protection from the encroaching darkness, had never wanted to be someone special, but took it in stride as his responsibility and duty.

And that was the very reason that Draco Malfoy found himself embroiled in an emotion that he had believed for so long to be incapable of himself. It was for no other reason then Harry's ability to see beyond the past, to who a person was, and push aside his own so that it didn't bother him. For Harry's ability to see who he was now and not who he had been not so long ago.

His grip tightened and a smile-a true smile-spread across his face. He wasn't going to hide from this and there was no reason to. He was just going to set about wooing him. He wasn't a Slytherin, or a Malfoy, for nothing. He was going to make Harry fall in love with him if it was the last thing he would ever do. And he was going to start as soon as possible.

As if waiting for that moment, Harry's breathing sped up, signaling his arrival into the land of the waking. He blinked a couple of times before turning the expressive emerald orbs toward the other boy's face. Draco's breath caught in his throat and he felt a pulling in his groin at the cloudy eyes, and the husky voice that he longed to hear cry out his name in ecstacy.

"Draco," Harry frowned, sliding his hand against Draco's chest unconsciously as he yawned, "Why are you awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Draco all but whispered into the stillness surrounding them, undesiring to break the moment.

"I asked you first." He smiled sleepily.

Smiling himself, he leaned down and pressed his lips chastely to Harry's, who was too asleep to notice or care much. The beast in his stomach purred as Harry pressed back willingly for a moment, before laying his head back down on the pillow and sighing contently.

"Just go back to sleep, Harry. I'm not going anywhere." He murmured.

"Kay . . ."

Soon, the only sound to accompany the moonlight, was the peaceful breathing of slumber.

HDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHD

A/N: Okay, i'm not gonna be able to post next week, so an interlude will be posted alongside this one.

Review Responses:

cheesecake: okie-dokie, updating soon. well, week after next. . .now i want cheesecake. . .goes off to ask dad to make some

Fred kissed George: I know, it was a pain trying to figure out a way to make him that way, yet still be in character. I don't think i succeeded very well.

lucy walker texas ranger: lol, thats one way to get a penname. thx for the review! glad u like it so far. and if u like remus/sirius, read the interlude.

Tarkemelhion: hmmm. . .interesting idea. . . i shall use it. . .somehow. . .

Mystiksnake: glad u like the story! keep reading!

Egyptianautumn: thats in interesting way to get ur name. and i'm glad u keep enjoying my story. blushes brightly when u start to begno! please get up! i'll give u pocky! or hersheys!holds out the choices and i won't be able to update next week, the week after next though, I can.

Shania Maxwell: glad u like it, and i will continue. :)

Derengedxandxsarcastic: look! i typed ur name right this time around! glad u think i'm a good writer, i'm working on it though. keep reading!

Akira-sama: Glad you enjoyed it. Keep reading!

LadyofDragons089: humming mysteriouslyjust keep reading, and find out the truth for yourself. And I'm glad u liked the new and improved Malfoy.

RRW: I actually am considering Sirius finding out somehow and him and Draco do something. Not sure how it would fit into the story though. And I love writing (and playing the flute) enough to give up considerable amounts of my own time to do them, so I do agree about writing taking energy.

njferrell: Thank you so much! I do have them going shopping around chapter 13 or 14. And your question about the Malfoys is answered in chapter 10. And I'm glad you like how I made Draco, and what's even funnier is that Harry doesn't even know it yet(about him having Draco wrapped around his finger).

MissBehavior: Don't worry, I will have Harry/Draco stuff soon, but I'm trying to build up to it.

random-laughter: It's okay and i'm glad u like it so far. the amount of h/d will go up slowly, in some places it might spike though. keep reading!

tati1: I'm glad you liked my story, and thanks for the corrections. Those are the ones I was a little confused on. Keep enjoying!

Jane Austen Girl: Yes, please leave me constructive criticism. And maybe random comments on just about anything so I can personalize your response (i like to do that).

Anyone who's review I didn't get to, I'm sorry and I'll try to get to you soon, just let me know please.

_**This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_Unicorn Blood_  
Author: LMG  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: T

THANKS AND KEEP READING PLEASE!!!


	10. Interlude: Dreaming of the Veil

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J. K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Tada! Here is the interlude, to make up for not being able to update for an extra week. And what do you think of my version of the Veil? I like to think its nice and happy there, but it needed to be this way for the sole purpose of making Sirius remember it. And it makes a bit more sense in my mind. :P

**Interlude:**

**Dreaming of the Veil**

Sirius shot up trembling and panting heavily. Remus sat up a bit slower from where he had been sleeping, curled up against Sirius' side. He yawned and watched the other man tremble for about another minute before taking action and scooting even closer to him.

"Siri?" He asked gently, tenderly rubbing circles in Sirius' back. The dark-haired man didn't reply immediately, opting to calm his breathing before he attempted to speak.

"I'm-I'm okay, now, Remy." He leaned into the werewolf's warmth and closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anytime soon, though. Not after that dream.

"What happened?" Remus' soothing voice surrounded him and he surrendered to it for the first time in a long time.

"I think I dreamed of what happened when I was behind the Veil." Sirius whispered tentatively, flinching when Remus' usually smooth motions paused for a split second before continuing.

"You think?" He urged Sirius to go on.

"I'm not sure. All I know for sure is that I'm surrounded by darkness for a short time. I . . . can't remember the rest very well." Still hesitant, he shivered at what little he could recall coherently.

"You want to talk about it?" Remus asked shyly and wrapped both arms around Sirius' neck.

"Yea, I do." He felt Remus loosen and knew he had given the answer that would abate any worries the tawny-eyed man had.

Silence reigned for several minutes as Sirius gathered his thoughts. They were too muddled for his tastes. Even when he had been pulling spur-of-the-minute pranks on Snivellus everything was planned in his head. This . . . this . . . confusion was something he despised greatly, the only thing he had never planned was meeting Remus on the train before his first year at Hogwarts. That had turned out for the best though.

"At first I'm surrounded by darkness, but soon that leaves and there's people everywhere. Some are mutilated, some have barely a scratch, and some are completely whole." He paused and wrapped his arms around the slightly smaller man's waist and buried his head into the crook of Remus' neck.

"Where they . . . the ones who had died?" Remus asked gently and Sirius was suddenly overjoyed that he had found the werewolf alone in that compartment all those years ago.

"Yea. Some attacked me, claiming I had no right to be there. There were some who tried to kill me, but I couldn't die." He stopped as violent shivers wracked his body. He practically curled up in Remus' lap in an attempt to stop the shivers.

"It's okay now, Siri. You're okay. You're here, with me and your godson again." Sirius felt lips drop on the top of his head. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I don't know for how long that went on, but eventually I was brought in front of a group that looked like out Wizengamot. I could see people I recognized out of our history texts. They asked me so many questions and I answered them as honestly as I could. I mean, I had nothing to lose," a bark of hysterical laughter left his lips before he went on, morbidly enraptured by the story he was telling, "Finally they started to talk to each other, I couldn't hear them. At the time I didn't want to. Now I wonder what they said."

"It must of been good things, you're back with us now." Remus whispered gently. Sirius didn't seem to hear him.

"Finally, they looked at me and one that looked like Dumbledore, I think it might of been Merlin, smiled at me. He something about me being there not being right and that judgment had been passed. He banged a gavel-a _gavel_ Remus!-and next thing I know I'm waking up in the Ministry surrounded by Aurors. They told me that my name had been cleared thanks to Wormtail being stupid enough to be seen by a muggleborn witch who reported it. Testified under veritaserum too!"

He looked up to see a sight that would forever amaze him. Remus had tears in his golden eyes for the second time that day and this time it was Sirius' turn to comfort him. He pulled the smaller man into his lap this time and held him close.

"What is it Remy?" He asked quietly.

"I'm just so glad that your back." He whispered in response before leaning in the give Sirius a searing kiss, making up for all that he had inadvertently missed thanks to a spell from Bellatrix.

"Promise me you'll never leave like that again." The werewolf asked once he had pulled back.

"I promise, Remy." He smiled and tightened his grip.

"Good."

"You know what, I have the strangest memory." Sirius suddenly said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"What?" Remus asked in curiousity.

"I think Snivellus forgave me for being an immature brat."

HDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHD

Tada! Finished!

Since this was an interlude, I'll recommend a oneshot for this.

_**This Interlude's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_When The Music Fades_  
Author: kamikumai  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: M

Cya in a couple of weeks!


	11. Ten: Malfoy Manor

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J. K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Just a small make-out session, not in the least bit graphic, but nothing much to worry over. I rate this chapter at . . .pretends to think really hard

Draco: Careful you don't want to hurt yourself sneers

Midnight: ignores him I rate it at PG, or T as the site goes by now.shrugs I'm being uber-safe.

A/N: I warn u, I like a supportive Ron, it will be that way in the majority of my stories, but I might change it for at least one. And I don't have much of an imagination when it comes to color schemes, I hated that class in school(almost every single f-ing year for three years).

/Parseltongue/

**Chapter 10:**

**Malfoy Manor**

Harry felt his jaw drop at the sight in front of him as the Knight Bus sped away. Everyone else behind him gasped lightly and he couldn't help but glance up at Malfoy. His face was impassive and anyone else would have called the expression cold, but not Harry. He could see the spark of amusement in the other's eye. And when Draco turned to face him, he could feel his cheeks heat up.

"Blimey Malfoy, your house is _huge_!" Ron exclaimed from behind him and Harry could hear the almost inaudible chuckle from the blonde.

"Of course it is. Why do you think it's called Malfoy Manor?" He said arrogantly.

Ron wasn't too far off in his inelegant description. The front of the house was a sheer white, with pale blue trim, and four stories worth of windows. From what Harry could see, there were at least two separate wings and maybe another in the back.

It wasn't a house. Or a manor. It was a mansion.

Harry stepped forward and gently touched the curved head of a snake that was twined around a bar that formed part of the gate. It hissed and moved and only him Draco, Siruis, and Remus didn't jump back. Mrs. Weasley nearly shrieked. Sirius chuckled.

/Who goes there?/ Harry blinked at the angry hiss in the snake's voice, but responded as politely as he could.

/The Malfoy Heir and his guests./ He could hear a sharp intake of breath from behind him.

/Ah, a snake-speaker. Hello, legged brother./ The metal serpent gave what he could of a bow.

/Hello, legless brother./ Harry paused as the snake scented the air with it's forked tongue.

/Oh. Oh my./ It hissed sibilantly, but there was a definite smug sound to it.

/What?/

"I didn't know you could talk to the magically constructed ones." Draco murmured as he leaned a bit.

"Harry, mate, that is bloody creepy." He could almost hear Ron shiver.

"Ronald, language."

"Yes, mum."

/My master's scent is all over you, legged brother./

"What's it saying?" Draco whispered, leaning closer to Harry, who blushed again.

/Congratulations, snake-speaker. It is not often someone catches the heart of a Malfoy./

/What?!/ His cheeks grew even hotter.

"Harry?"

"You don't want to know what it's saying." Harry mumbled, stepping away. Ron snickered when he caught sight of his friend's flushed face and Harry threw him a glare. The twins, who had accompanied them to get Apparating coordinates, snickered as well, and hummed a muggle song Harry knew all too well.

Draco shrugged, a graceful lifting of the shoulders, and spoke the password to the gates. They opened and everyone trudged up the gravel path and up the marble staircase to the large french doors and into the foyer. Looking up, Harry felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked straight up at the sky outside.

"Skylights, that's a muggle architectural design." Hermione breathed beside him.

"Yes, my mother had a thing about beauty and upstaging the competition, and when Mrs. Sophia Zabini had some installed, she convinced my father too as well." Draco looked up from where he was instructing a house-elf. The wrinkled green creature promptly bowed and disappeared with a CRACK.

"Well, dear, this is absolutely wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley was saying from between Sirius and Mr. Weasley.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, would you like to help arrange the menu for the meals? I was never very good with that." The blonde asked diplomatically.

"I would love to, it's the least I could do, dear." She instantly turned around to face Ginny, who she was trying to put some sort of femininity into, and started asking for her opinion.

"I gotta hand it to ya Malfoy, your family's got taste." Sirius chuckled, and Remus rolled his eyes.

"Sirius, anyone has better taste then you do." The werewolf stated plainly. It took a minute for that to sink in.

"Hey!"

Harry chuckled and turned to Bill and Fluer, who were only going to be coming for dinner and maybe an occasional lunch. He felt Malfoy tense up beside him slightly, but he paid it no mind.

"It's good seeing you two again. How's Gringott's, Bill?" He asked politely.

"It's great. Mum still wants me to get rid of my earring, but as long as the goblins don't mind, I don't see why I should have to." He smiled at Harry, and this time he did look at Draco when he heard a low growl.

"Draco?" Harry asked curiously, tilting his head slightly.

"Nothing. Would you like me to ask the house-elves to make lunch?" He turned to face everyone else.

"That would be nice dear." Mrs. Weasley said, and instantly listed what would be an expensive meal at a high end restaurant.

Harry found himself applauding the choices mentally and grinned at Draco, who raised an eyebrow at him.

As lunch was being prepared, they found themselves given a tour of the mansion, Fluer gave just about everyone a headache with her comments and Harry found himself wishing he had something akin to the Marauder's map. They were shown the minor and major dining halls, the ballroom, the two dens, the piano room, the small study, then the grand study. There was an East Wing, a West Wing(containing the Master Suite), a South Wing, three gardens(rose(attached to the master suite), formal, and guest), stables filled with several kinds of riding beasts(thestrals, horses, hippogriffs, tamed hippocampi in tanks, etc), a quidditch pitch, two ponds(one was for swimming), training grounds, and a small building that Hermione called a dojo. They saw the edge of the forests that Draco claimed had several waterfalls and miscellaneous clearings, a racing track, and the guest building(which was two stories tall). Finally he led them into what he called the Family Dining Hall, and lunch was on the table.

Harry sat down across from Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, and Draco sat down beside him, across from the bushy haired girl. The adults sat down at the other end of the table, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and the twins sat down in the middle.

"Blimey Malfoy, your house is _huge_!" Ron exclaimed, and Harry chuckled.

"That's the tenth time you've said that Ron." He chuckled at his best friend as Hermione spoke up.

"Fifteenth." Ginny corrected.

"My point is proven. Thank you, Ginny."

"No problem, Hermione."

"What's the sleeping arrangements gonna be like, Malfoy?" Ron asked, pointedly ignoring his sister and Hermione.

"That's what we need to figure out. But first, I need to speak with Granger in private." Hermione threw him a quizzical look as they stood up and walked far enough away to be out of earshot. Harry watched them from the corner of his eye as he slowly began to eat.

"You like him, don't you." Ginny stated rather then asked and Harry looked at her sharply, blushing brightly.

"What? What give you that idea?" He squeaked, nearly dropping his fork and she smirked as Ron shuddered.

"Harry, mate, it's pretty obvious." Ron said.

"You, don't mind?" Harry asked his best friend hesitantly, half expecting a 'I bloody well do mind.'

"No, not really," He started slowly, "It's not completely uncommon for our world, and there is a way to have an heir. It's pretty obvious he likes you too."

Harry gaped at him and thought he was hearing things for a minute, "This is Malfoy we're talking about here, I seriously doubt he could ever love me." He said, taking a bite of his food in an attempt to turn them onto other things to discuss.

What he got was mischievous smirks on both of their faces. He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what that could mean and was about to open his mouth and ask when he was distracted by Draco sitting back down beside him, grinning imperceptively.

"You never know Harry." Ginny said sagely, not bothering to change her expression.

"I've had my say and that's the end of it."

"Had your say in what Harry?" Hermione asked him, but Ron beat him to the answer.

"Quidditch Hermione. We were arguing which keeper was better, the Japanese, or the American."

"Oh," She said blankly, before returning to the original topic of conversation, "We need to work on sleeping arrangements. Sirius and Remus will want to share. Ron can have his own room, and so can Charlie, I'll share with Ginny, and Ron's parents will share, and you and Malfoy will share." She said it all without stopping for breath and Harry frowned.

"What?"

"You heard me. Malfoy told me about you not sleeping and I agree that someone needs to keep an eye on you." At this he turned to glare at Draco, who only shrugged.

"She decided who was sleeping where, not me." He said calmly.

Harry just growled and turned back to his food, deciding to ignore everyone else for the time being. Overhead, Ron and Ginny started up a discussion on quidditch strategies and moves. Hermione and Draco started talking about a variety of subjects, from school to politics. Harry took it all in, but kept from responding when the Weasley's starting an argument, until they turned to him to settle it.

"Harry, tell her that the move that Hufflepuff seeker used against you isn't as hard as it looks."

"It's not, it's just a matter of placing your hands, and keeping your balance, especially when you start spinning." He frowned at them, wondering for a minute why they had turned to him.

"See Ginny? I told you."

"And I stand by what I said when it comes to the triple barrel spin maneuver that the Ravenclaw chaser used against you." She glared at him.

"That's an almost impossible move Ginny, and you know it." He glared right back.

"I agree with Ron, the whole problem is of keeping your broom under you while you jump over each other. That's difficult." Harry said slowly, deciding he might as well contribute.

"We can do it if we tried hard enough." Ginny stated defiantly.

"Yes, and that would take several months to perform it perfectly every time. That would take too much time away from homework and other things." He shook his head at her.

"Well, I don't see why." She huffed at them, stabbing a piece of lettuce brutally.

"You complained several times last year when I let practice go for a bit longer then necessary."

"Well..." She trailed off.

"Exactly."

"What do you think of the Australian seeker Harry?" Ron interjected, wanting to keep the conversation going.

"She's pretty good."

"Pretty good? She's bloody brilliant!" Harry chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"Harry, tell Malfoy why you don't like Minister scrimgeor." Hermione turned to him, taking a sip of her drink.

"He wanted me to be a poster boy for the war," He looked into Draco's amused grey eyes and frowned, "What?"

"Nothing, you just look adorable."

He felt heat invade his cheeks and he heard Ginny and Hermione giggle across from them, while Ron snickered. He didn't bother replying, but turned back to the discussion on the Australian seeker. Draco's eyes never left his profile for long and neither did the flush leave Harry's face and neck.

Finally everyone was done. The twins, Bill, and Fluer left, promising to be back for dinner. Draco had several house elves lead Molly, Arthur, Sirius, Remus, and Charlie to their rooms in the East Wing, and the Malfoy heir led the teens to their rooms in the West Wing. Ron had a room that was a pale orange, done in the tones of sunrise. Ginny and Hermione's was done in multiple shades of purple, pink, and red. Finally Draco led a blushing Harry into the rooms they would be sharing.

Right off the hall there was a sitting room, done in an white with blood red trim. The carpet was a plush black while the furniture matched the trim. One wall had a fireplace and the one directly across held a plain mahogany door. Straight across from them stood large french doors. Harry instantly headed to the plain door and opened it into a study, one wall was lined with shelves, and a desk in front of a row of windows, one of which was a glass door that led to steps. The third wall had a fireplace with a couch and two chairs in front of it.

"That reminds me. I'll be needing to look over the Malfoy accounts. I need to see what damage Lucius did in his obsession with Voldemort. Mother is hiding with friends in France right now so it's up to me." Draco spoke up from behind him.

"You have your own study?" Harry asked, stepping up to a shelf and scanning the titles.

"Yes. I am the sole owner of the Malfoy monies and properties, now that Lucius is in Azkaban. And that is where he is going to stay."

"I don't think they would ever believe his claims to being under _Imperius_ now." He muttered, and walked to the windows, looking out onto the Rose Garden.

"And even if they did, he won't be able to touch me here. The moment he was arrested, my mother had me put everything in my name. He would be poorer than the Weasley's and unable to find a job." He came up behind Harry and wrapped his arms around the shorter boys waist, pulling him against his chest.

"Oh . . ." The flush darkened and he resisted the urge to just relax, but relented enough to cover Draco's hands with his own. As it was, he couldn't ignore the silver snake that suddenly animated in front of them.

"What is it with your family and snakes?" He asked with mild disdain.

"We always went into Slytherin. Or something similar to Slytherin. Hence the fascination with silver and green everywhere but my Wing of the house." Draco whispered huskily in his ear and Harry couldn't resist the impulse to shudder and gasp at the feel of his warm breath.

/Ah, so the rumor is true, the Malfoy Heir took a lover. But is it true that he is a snake-speaker? A legged brother?/ The serpent's forked tongue flicked in and out.

"L-lover?!" He stuttered in English and could practically feel Draco raising an eyebrow at him.

/It appears that the rumor is untrue./ It started to head back, but Harry spoke up and it stopped.

/What did you mean by lover, legless brother?/

/So it is true. Are you a screamer? I would like to have a screamer, our last master's mate was not a screamer./ Harry squeaked indignantly at that.

"What did it say? I've always wondered what they talked about." Draco said, breathing across his ear. Harry tuned out the snake for a minute to answer him.

"They talk about the sex life of the Malfoy's." He muttered quietly.

"Oh? What did it say about you?"

"It asked me if I was your...l-lover and if I was a screamer. Among other things." His voice dipped down again in embarrassment.

"Really?" Draco's voice lowered even more, and he ran his tongue along the shell of Harry's ear.

"Y-yes." Harry gasped out, tightening his grip slightly.

/Oh! Am I going to get a show?/ The snake asked.

/No!/

Draco's mouth latched onto his earlobe, and sucked gently and anything that Harry might of said was lost as a low moan was torn out of his throat.

/It seems so, legged brother./ It said triumphantly.

Harry tried to respond to the snake's jibe, but that was postponed as Draco spun him around and laid his lips on Harry's.

The kiss was gentle, chaste, but passionate, and filled with a sense of utter _rightness _that had his stomach rolling. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, and moaned deep in his throat when he parted his lips and felt the blonde's warm and moist tongue flick against the roof of his mouth. He ran his own tongue along Draco's, who groaned almost silently before pulling back. He stared into shining grey eyes and felt a panic building.

He would never be able to deny the blonde anything and he knew that. He had to get away, he just had to. Needed to get away from the Slytherin before he did something he might or might not regret.

"Don't you have accounts to look over? I'll leave you to do that. I'll go see if the others want to spend some time in the garden." He said quickly, before pulling away and running into the hall, ignoring the snake's sibilant laughter that followed him.

Review Responses:

RRW: chuckling evilly just you wait until Sirius finds out in chapter...checks her rough mental outline13. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhacking

Eerie Iri: Thanks! I hope you keep reading!

random-laughter: blushesthanks. And lookie! an update! and see how bad Harry is being?(i wrote this chapter back in july) keep enjoying!

Egyptianauthmn: thanks, i'm glad u enjoyed it. Happy Reading!

dgpolo: Hey! A new reviewer! I'm glad you enjoy the interaction between them, it has caused me many a sleepless night(that i would have stayed up anyway) making sure it was perfect. Keep enjoying, plz! Happy Reading!

Shania Maxwell: just you wait. Happy Reading!

MissBehavior: smiles brightlyi'm glad you enjoyed it, and that I can make someone squeal like a fangirl(i giggle like them at the mention of hpdm or rlsb or several others). Happy Reading!

bookworm3213: here's an update! and i'm glad u enjoy it so far. Please keep doing so, Happy Reading!

Potter-Black-Lupin: hmmm. . .in my debt for years you say?starts stroking a mysteriously-appearing goatee Anyway, glad u like my writing, Happy Reading!

personifiedx: i'm glad u like it. Happy Reading!

eTerNaLzAnzI98: in wonderu know what, I've been doing that for years. . .i think u just caught me messing up in my grammer in such a major way. Thank u. And i'm glad u like my story, Happy Reading!

rubyinnle: I'm glad u love my story. Please keep enjoying! Happy Reading!

demon-girl98: salutes yes sir---i mean ma'am!

mistress of the flames: i'm glad u enjoy my story so much. Another update should be up next week. Happy Reading!

Magpie quill: smiles like a looni'm glad u think i'm doing a good job keeping them real. it's fun, if one looks at it from a certain angle. and ur welcome for bringing sirius back, i just couldn't leave him out of this! Happy Reading!

PaddyWaddy: lol. yes, sirius is back!

A/N: I'm pretty sure I got all the reviewers, if I skipped u, i'm really sry!

_**This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_Black Truth_  
Author: InferiorBeing  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: T


	12. Eleven: A Birthday Party and a Special G

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J. K. Rowling and her literary genius.

No warnings for this chapter, just that it's my shortest so far.

A/N: Happy Halloween everyone!!

This chapter is dedicated to naitodoragon, my 100th reviewer.

**Chapter 11:**

**A Birthday Party and a Special Gift**

Draco watched the others as they mingled in the Family Dining Room. He was leaning against the wall, a goblet of punch in one hand. Harry was across the room with his friends, laughing. He frowned. Ever since the kiss in his study a week ago, Harry had been avoiding him. Sure, the Gryffindor would deny that to his dying breath, but it was still true. He would come in late for bed and go immediately to sleep and he would wake up before Draco. It was like the first few weeks at the Dursleys'. So, needless to say it was starting to get on his nerves a little bit.

Here he was, trying to woo him, and Harry was side stepping every attempt with a grace that would of gained him the respect of every Slytherin. Including his father and Voldemort! But _no_, he had to be ungrateful to the attention Draco was trying to lay on him. It was just not fair!

Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he narrowed his eyes. Maybe Harry wasn't ungrateful, but unaccostumed to his affections. He hadn't grown up with much, if any at all. He hadn't known anyone who would smile at him without ulterior motives, although he did it himself it on a regular basis. What happened with his cousin last week had proven how fragile Harry really was. Maybe keeping himself from relationships and love was a way of making sure that he didn't get hurt. It was entirely possible.

He straightened up as Sara and John Evans walked up to him arm in arm, bright smiles on their faces. He put the epiphany on hold.

"Ah, Master Draco, how wonderful to see you finally." John said formally and his wife laughed.

"John, this is our grandson's friend, I think we can be a bit more friendly," She turned to Draco and smiled at him, "Thank you so much, Draco. If it wasn't for you, I doubt we would of been reunited at all. We only knew he was still alive thanks to the Daily Prophet and that dreadful Skeeter woman." She pursed her lips and frowned.

"That brings me to the question I was meaning to ask you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans." He met their eyes squarely and sipped from his goblet calmly.

"What's on your mind?" The elder man asked politely, giving his wife's arm a squeeze.

"If you knew he was alive, why did you make no attempt to find him?"

"Dumbledore wouldn't let us. Nor would the Ministry." John said scathingly, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Draco's voice was still calm, but he wasn't going to let the subject drop anytime soon.

"My husband was a Slytherin, Draco. He didn't bother hiding the fact he didn't like Dumbledore at all either." Sara said this time, a sad look flying across her face.

"So they didn't trust you not to turn him over to Voldemort?" He asked this time, filling in the blanks himself. They nodded.

"Essentially. Even though it was in their will not to turn him over to our other daughter no matter the cost." She looked down at her feet, ever the aristocratic vision of a pureblood.

"Good to know someone was aware of how he would of been treated there." Draco muttered, looking back over at the dark-haired teen, surrounded by his friends, yet all by himself.

"What do you mean?" John said in a threateningly cold voice and a miniscule smirk spread over Draco's face. Maybe _they_ could convince Harry to file charges.

"It's not my place to tell." He said vaguely. They watched him for a minute before walking off towards Sirius and Remus.

It was at that moment that loud fireworks, reminiscent of his fifth year and OWL's, went off overhead. Draco resisted the urge to duck like he had then rather admirably. He wasn't a scared little boy hiding behind his father's robes anymore. A blazing dragon sped by and he stared at it lazily, eyebrow lifting in mild amusement at the twins' attempt to scare him.

His eyes met emerald and his heart jumped in his chest. They were shining with happiness. Happiness that he had placed there. Putting up with all the noise was worth something after all. He returned it with a smirk before turning to Fred and George Weasley, who had performed _Sonorus_ and were tapping a glass rather loudly as the fireworks dissapeared.

"Seeing as we have been gifted with-" The slightly calmer one, Fred, started, grinning broadly.

"Cake from the wonderful house-elves-" George continued, a mischevious twinkle in his eye.

"And delicious cooking-" Fred rubbed his stomach.

"From Harry's own recipes-" George mirrored his twin, licking his lips.

"Might we add." Fred held a finger in the air to make a point.

"But now it's time-" George spread his arms wide.

"For the boy-" Fred sounded hilariously grave.

"Deprived of birthdays-" George sounded ridiculously solemn.

"To open his gifts!" They finished and clapped their hands in unison. Behind them a mountain of gifts appeared with the sound. Across the room Harry's jaw dropped as he was pulled forward by his friends. Draco met up with them at the table and sat down. Harry was pushed down beside him by Hermione and Ginny who giggled before settling down on his other side. Ron plopped down beside Draco and smiled at him, which earned him a curious look from the blonde.

"Harry trusts ya enough to sleep in your bed with you-doing Merlin knows what-" He added under his breath, "-So I'll trust you. He's never been wrong before." He shrugged this time and sat straighter after a reprimand from his mother on table manners. Draco snickered at him.

"This still doesn't change the fact I'm a Slytherin, and a Malfoy." The redhead shot him a disgusted look.

"You're proud of the fact?!" He muttered with the same tone. Draco smirked in amusement.

"Harry's grandfather was in Slytherin and is disgusted with what Voldemort has done. He pities their daughter-Harry's aunt-not for _what_ she is but for _who_ she turned out to be." He pointed out and leaned back while taking a sip from his goblet.

"But after what your father did-" Draco cut him off with a glacial glance.

"First of all, I am not my father. Secondly, not the whole Malfoy line was like that. _Lucius_-" He spat the name out with obvious scorn, "-was more against my grandfather's morals than anything else."

"Your grandfather? What was he like?" Ron asked with curiousity. Draco glanced to the side to see Harry laughing at something Ginny said. The twins were occupied with arranging the pile of presents in front of him with a care that was ludicrous.

"He was good friends with John at Hogwarts, than with Sara later. He was a lot like Harry." Draco's gaze softened a bit as a smile tilted the edges of his lips slightly.

"You really do like him, don't you." It was more a statement than a question and it was spoken so lowly that Draco barely caught it.

"No-" He met Ron's eyes, who looked about ready to show off the infamous Weasley temper. A gentle smile spread across his face though and he opted to look bewildered as Draco finished even more tenderly, "I love him."

"You really do?" He was wary, but Draco's expression didn't change at all.

"I would take the potion and bare his children if he asked me to." That got through Ron's thick skull and he nodded.

"Don't hurt him. If you do, you'll have a lot of people out for your blood." He warned and Draco's mask came back up, a smirk spreading across his face.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Weasel." He taunted and Ron snorted.

"If ya say so, Ferret." He grinned at the blonde before they both turned back to Harry who was delicately taking a gift from one of the twins.

"This one's from Charlie." The other one supplied and Harry opened the box to find a pair of dragon hide gloves.

"Thanks Charlie!" He said enthusiastically. Draco grinned a little at that, leaning back in his seat as the warmth from the dark haired boy's exuberance washed over him.

"No problem. Your Hungarian Horntail molted. There was enough to make several very sturdy pairs." The sturdily-built man supplied from down the table and Harry was handed another gift.

"Mum and dad." Fred said calmly while George practically broke Harry's nose with the gift. It was a knit jumper and a bag of chocolate frogs. Harry smiled at them and thanked them before accepting another gift.

"Ginny and Ron." George stated this time and Fred handed over the box from their levitated position over the table. Harry opened it and picked up an emerald snitch with red wings.

"It's a clock. You just say '_Tempus'_, and it tells you the time. It hasn't been set yet." Ginny said happily and Harry nodded and gave his thanks to the two. George practically dropped the next gift in his lap.

"Bill and Fluer." Harry took off the glittering wrapping and picked up a two books. One was a Veela romance ("It iz so realistic 'arry! Trust me!") and the other was on curse breaking. Draco had to hold back a laugh, and Ron didn't bother, when Hermione picked up the romance with interest and started to read it with Ginny.

"Hermione." The gift made a smirk alight back onto Draco's face at the look on Harry's face. It was a potion's kit.

"Umm . . . Thanks Hermione, I guess." He said with resignation. She only 'hmm'ed, not even looking up from the novel. Ginny giggled at something.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Fred handed Harry a slim gift. Once the wrapping was off his face nearly rivaled a tomatoe. Draco leaned over to read the title before turning to Ron to tell it to him. A muggle book entitled _How to Catch a Guy_, that was priceless. After Harry stuttered out a thank you to the grinning couple, he hastily snatched a rather large box from George.

"From us," The stated in unison, "A box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes latest, and some of our greatest, jokes and products, including everlasting fireworks used for earlier's demonstration!"

"Thanks." He laughed and set the box on the floor. Draco caught the look on Molly Weasley's face, overwhelming pride.

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans." George shouted enthusiastically. Harry opened it and he smiled a little watery.

It was a photo album. The cover stated in golden letters _Lily Sara Evans_. "Thank you." He choked out and placed it on his lap, one hand resting on it protectively for several moments while Fred called out the next gift giver.

"Remus and Sirius!" Harry unwrapped it and found four simple mirrors. He looked down the table to his godfather and Remus. They smiled at him.

"They're two way mirrors. I'm sure Hermione can explain it to you later." Remus said and Sirius bounced in his seat.

"We have one of them too! It's connected to your set!" The canine animagus shouted and Draco frowned a bit as Harry smiled brilliantly.

"Thanks!" He placed them on top of the album and grabbed the last gift. A long box.

"Draco." They said in unison before landing on top of the now empty table with a thump, grinning at the blonde while Harry opened the box and picked up a silver broom.

It was the latest model. A Tornado 300. Harry gave Draco a smile that made his heart stop for a full ten seconds before he threw his arms around the Slytherin's neck.

"Thank you so much, Draco. For the party, for the broom, for _everything_." Harry muttered into his neck and Draco smiled softly into his hair, arms wrapped securely around his slender waist.

"No problem at all, Harry." He whispered in return and Harry pulled back, smiling brightly and locked their eyes together, ignoring the catcalls they were getting from the twins.

Well, he was, up to the point one of them yelled, 'Get a room!' and he pulled back sharply, blushing. Luckily it was then that Molly intervened.

"Yes, it is getting quite late, dears. I think it's time we all went to bed." She got up and her husband followed her out of the room. Draco smirked as he spotted the look they were sharing. He would have to remind the house-elves to change the bed sheets on all the beds tomorrow.

"The house-elves will lead the guests to their rooms. Coming Harry?" Draco got to his feet and looked at the smaller teen who was holding the mirrors and albums to his chest, the broom gripped tightly in one hand.

"Yea. Will the house-elves take my other gifts to our rooms?" He asked and stood up too and they headed towards the doors.

"Yes. I have one more gift for you as well." He saw Harry blush brightly out of the corner of his eye.

"Really? You didn't have to. You've already done so much for me and-" Draco cut him off.

"And I will keep doing such things."

"Why?" Harry asked curiously, seemingly bothered if the tone of his voice was anything to go by.

"Because you deserve them." He answered simply. Harry creased his eyebrows in thought and Draco had to resist the urge to tell him how cute he looked right then.

They stepped into their rooms and Draco watched as Harry put the few gifts he had with him on the low table. Once Harry had curled up on the sofa, watching him with curiosity, Draco gently took a box from the mantel above the fireplace. Holding it in one hand he sat down beside the other teen.

"Here." He said simply. Harry took it and opened the lid.

"Merlin, Draco, this is beautiful," Harry whispered reverentially as he lifted out a white dragon pendant, "Put it on, please?" He looked at Draco with something shining in his eyes that the taller of the two couldn't place.

"Of course." The blonde smiled at him and Harry handed over the pendant before turning around in his seat. Draco leaned forward and clasped it gently, than brought Harry's back to rest against his chest. He tensed for a minute, but Draco smiled once he relaxed and melted into his bigger frame, even if it was a tad reluctant.

"Thank you so much, Draco," Harry muttered sleepily a few minutes later, "I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

"Just say you love me, too." Draco whispered into the air.

But Harry was already asleep.

Review Responses:

RRW: Glad i can be of service. smiles glad u enjoyed it, and that u love the snakes!

MissBehavior: Whee!! I'm glad you like it so much. I do try.

black lady knight: and here is more.

PaddyWaddy: glad u loved the snakes.

Rainbow2007: glad u loved it. keep reading!

Jane Austen Girl: Thank you so much for your help! I may be one of the best in my english class, but we've been going over the same things year after year so I kind of lost the will to even pay attention anymore. It would be so much help if you could beta my chapters for me, since it seems that you know more about grammar then I ever will. As much as I hate to admit it, I have major problems with the simpler things(like its and it's), and several of the major. And you know more about baking than I do, at that.

njferrell: Yes, more soon. An update a week for as long as I am ahead of the updates. And I prefer Coca-Cola myself.

random-laughter: I meant it to be at least mildly amusing. thanks!

Shania Maxwell: I'm glad u love it. And yes, i do plan on going on.

fluffy pink thing: glad u seem to enjoy my story so much and like my writing style. Please keep reading.

misstress of the flames: glad u like it, and i plan to try to update once a week for as long as I have the chapter done ahead of time.

bookworm3213: I know, i love when it comes time to update too.

DerengedxandxSarcastic: omg! i'm someone's hero! faints from the shock

Tarkemelhion: lol, oh, the things peole could do, people they could spy on. glad u like my story. where did you get your name? it's very interesting.

LiLY: i'm glad u like it, keep reading please:)

Howl To The Moon: I do plan to continue. but thanks for your support, Howl To The Moon. That's an interesting name, btw.

satyr-oh: hmmm. . .the serpent innuendos. i like doing them. Any requests though?

DramaQueen1193: o.O u do sound like a drama queen. . .joking. anyway, glad u like my story.

demon-girl98: laughing evillymwahahahahahahahahackhackcough keep reading!

JadeAshes: Yes, malfoys always get what they want. and another update will be up next week, don't worry.

rubyinnle: yes, nowhere near as stressful. but a fight between harry and draco can cause just as much stress, if not more. Keep reading!

naitodoragon: thanks for ur review, and for being my 100th reviewer at that!

CosmoMontana: yes, I am an evil, evil person. But keep on reading and enjoying please!

A/N: yet again, sry if i missed u. I want to thank all my reviewers right now for your support though. On other news, 100 REVIEWS!!!! THAT ROCKS!

_**This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_Captivation_  
Author: Angelic Candy  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: R

A/N: I will dedicate the next chapter to whoever gets the following question correctly (and they'll also get a Harry plushie and Hersheys(or pocky)):

Why doesn't Harry like showing off his arms?


	13. Twelve: Dinner for Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J. K. Rowling and her literary genius.

FLUFF!! And mentions of abuse and self-mutilation.says the last reluctantly

Harry: You're going to tell them the truth?

Midnight: nodsyes, i am. Something major gets cleared up this chapter, mainly because I can't stand to keep it hidden any longer, and Harry shows his Slytherin Side!

Draco: She never was good at keeping secrets. But now how will you keep the readers addicted?

Mandi: blank stare I have a plan, don't worry. . . might involve a cliffhanger. . .

This chapter is dedicated to Ninjahidinginthedark66 and Dreamweaver. For getting the answer right! gives them a Harry plushie and Hershey's (or pocky)

**Chapter 12:**

**Dinner for Two**

Draco stared across the top of his desk, meeting the determined brown eyes of Hermione Granger. He resisted the urge to sigh and rub the bridge of his nose as he tried to remember why she was there in the first place. That was easy enough to remember. The reason she was in his manor was out in the Rose Garden with his best friend. The sound of his voice drifted in through the open windows.

"Why are you in here again?" Draco asked as calmly as he could in this situation.

"To talk about Harry." She said for the fifth time.

"Why?" He leaned back and met her eyes squarely. She sighed in frustration.

"Look, how many times will I have to tell you before it gets through your thick skull that we'll help you 'woo' Harry?" She whispered furiously.

That was the clincher and what he could not seem to understand.

"How do you know that it's even possible?" Draco steepled his fingers as he watched her appraisingly. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"By the way he looks at you and blushes whenever your name is mentioned. He likes you a lot and even Ron agrees that it's obvious. He just needs a few nudges in the right direction." She stated for the _third_ time.

"The bit about the nudging I already know." He responded matter-of-factly. She groaned in irritation.

"Fine, tell me what you're doing and the rest of us will supplement it." Hermione crossed her arms and Draco leaned back and rubbed his chin.

"Alright, I'll tell you. On one condition."

"Name it." She really needed to learn not to trust Slytherins so easily, Draco decided, and held up two fingers.

"Make that two," Had to prove the aforementioned fact somehow, "One, you and Ron stop dancing around each other and finally do something about the mutual attraction you both share. It's starting to annoy Harry. Two, you both owe me something _big_." He stressed the final word subtly and noted when she heard the tone.

"I'll let you tell Ron the conditions," She said, giggling nervously before continuing, "But I agree to them. What are you doing in your attempts to 'woo' Harry?"

"There's one more thing I need to know first. What do you think of Harry's mental condition?" Draco watched her warily.

"Fragile. His childhood was less than perfect, obviously. It left him with insecurities. He views himself far differently than we do. Possibility of self-mutilation." They sounded like an excerpt from a textbook, and knowing Hermione they probably were.

"Alright. This is what I'm doing . . ."

HDHDHDHDHD

That night, Harry paced the main room of Draco's suite in impatience and anxiety. He had finally figured out a way to thank Draco for everything he had done in the past two months and Harry was worried about how the taller blonde would take it. Harry had pushed the house-elves out of the kitchen, to their dismay, and cooked an elaborate dinner for the two of them. He had told Ron what he was up to, so everyone else would know where they would be, and had sent a message to Draco to meet him in here, but it did nothing to ease his worry. Oh, he knew Draco loved his cooking, but not if he would appreciate _this_. He sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace and groaned as he placed his head in his hands.

Draco would hate it! Why had he even bothered with it?

"Salazar, Harry. Did you do this?" An awed voice spoke up from near the doorway and Harry jumped up, blushing profusely. Draco had come in and now stood there, watching him with an emotion in his eyes that Harry wasn't sure he wanted to read.

"Yes, I did." Harry glanced at the floor, shifting from foot to foot in embarrassment.

"For me?" His voice lowered in admiration, and Harry nodded.

"Ye-yes." His own voice dipped into a whisper.

"Thank you. I love it." Harry's head shot up and he caught the smile that spread across Draco's face. His blush deepened as the other boy held out a chair for him. Harry took it as gracefully as he could, although he still felt as though he was far from it from what?, but luckily Draco didn't notice, or didn't care, as he sat down across from him.

"I'm glad you like it." Harry smiled as the candles in the middle of the table flared and the lights dimmed while soft music started to pour from the walls.

"How did you manage all this?" Draco asked as he cut into the tender meat set out in front of him.

"I cooked-" Harry started.

"I can tell." The blonde stated as he swallowed his first piece and went to take a sip of the wine.

"And the house-elves helped me with everything else." Harry finished and delicately cut into his own food.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Do you like it?" Harry couldn't help but ask the question, and immediately berated himself for doing so. It made him sound so insecure. But aren't I? He thought to himself.

"I already said I loved it. And I love the fact that you went through so much trouble to do this for me." Draco's smile rushed through him again and his blush grew brighter.

"I had to find some way to thank you." Harry murmered.

"You didn't have to, though." Draco said gently and Harry looked up to meet his eyes.

"I wanted to."

They fell into silence then and Draco wanted something to break the silence, but he couldn't think of anything. His eyes slowly slid down Harry's body - still skinny, but now with clothes that accentuated muscular litheness instead of the previous emaciation. He watched as Harry daintily cut and ate his food, occasionally sending him embarrassed glances from under his bangs. Was there a way to make Harry feel like he didn't owe Draco anything?

And then it hit him. He could find a way to figure out if Harry was really cutting himself, which by now he believed completely. At the same time he could make Harry forget about repaying this when he had done it without that intention in the first place. If he trod it carefully, and kept in mind what Hermione had told him earlier, this evening might just be an even bigger success.

"Harry." He spoke up quietly, preparing to choose his words carefully.

Harry looked up sharply at the sound of his name being spoken so tenderly. He guessed he might have that 'deer-in-headlights' look that muggles always joked about, but at that particular moment, he didn't care. There was something in Draco's voice that told him to run and hide.

"Draco." He muttered back neutrally.

"I want to talk to you about something." His voice was still gentle and Harry found himself tensing in spite of himself.

"About what?" He asked as evasively as he could and set his utensils down. The carefully seasoned hippogriff flank could wait.

"Your uncle," With siren sauce, "Dudley," Mermaid tails (This was actually only muggle shrimp, but Draco didn't need to know this), "And that letter from Dumbledore." And a bottle of finely aged wine, nonetheless.

"Why?" Harry met his gaze head on. He wasn't in Gryffindor for nothing.

"Because I want to know what's going on with you." Draco's eyes softened and Harry blushed and looked down. Why couldn't his life be simple?

Something inside told him that he wouldn't change it for the world. It was right, so Harry folded his hands on the table and looked up.

"What do you want to know first?" He asked calmly while Draco repeated the gesture while leaning forward in his seat. Harry forced himself to relax. Draco wasn't going to hurt him anytime soon. If he did he would have the whole Weasley family, including Sirius, Remus, and Hermione on him within minutes.

"Your uncle." Harry nodded, he should have known that that would be Draco's first topic. He shifted in his seat slightly.

"What do you need to know about him?" He asked as amicably as he could, this being a sore subject for him after all.

"Why did he beat you?" Harry winced at the term. He had never really liked that word much. Same with abuse, or Dark Lord.

"It's the way he is. He hates magic more than anything else," Harry shook his head, "Aunt Petunia probably made him that way and dragged her son down with her."

Draco was silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. He probably was. "What about Dudley? Why did he do that?"

This time his hand landed to gently rest on Harry's. Tingles sped down Harry's spine at the contact. Harry didn't move from studying the contrast of light and dark skin.

"Who knows," He shook his head again and bit his lip, "Dudley has always acted a bit . . . strangely when it came to me. Like I was his property," He shivered, and not from the way Draco's fingers moved across the back of his hand, "I guess he thought if he didn't stake a claim now, he would lose some sort of contest."

"He would've lost either way." Draco spoke harshly. Harry's head snapped up, his eyes meeting the blonde's, and locked as if held by a magnet. Harry discovered he didn't really care about hiding how he felt about Draco anymore. If Draco acted this way around him, then maybe there was hope. But how much?

"I know, Draco. But sometimes I wish he didn't act like that in the first place." Harry shrugged and forced his eyes to the right and down.

"Harry," Draco went and kneeled by Harry's chair, forcing their eyes to meet, "He's not here anymore. You don't have to go back ever again."

"I know," Harry sighed and slid off the chair and into Draco's lap, effectively hiding his smirk of triumph. He could be a Slytherin too, after all, "What did you want to know about Dumbledore's letter?" He knew which one Draco was referring to, of course, and was pretty sure which part. But he felt too comfortable with his head lodged on Draco's shoulder, warm breath spreading across his cheek pleasantly.

"The part that states, 'The blood that others spilled for you, does not mean you must repay them with your own.'" It sounded practiced, as if he was constantly saying it to himself. Harry frowned and furrowed his brows. Draco had been that concerned? And wasn't the meaning obvious?

"What do you think it means?" He asked, truly curious. Draco took a sharp breath, one arm encircling Harry's waist and another heading for his right wrist. His brow creased further.

"Self-mutilation."

At that Harry snorted. "You think I'm cutting?" He asked incredulously. Draco drew back slightly and Harry looked up at his face to find it closed off.

"Yes." He stated coldly. Harry leaned upward, after carefully placing his glasses on the table, and placed their foreheads together.

"Why?" He asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Your uncle, your cousin, and Voldemort." This time Harry did chuckle, albeit quietly.

"If I let them affect me like that, then I would've killed myself before I even knew I was a wizard." Harry said gently, softly caressing Draco's cheek.

"Then why are you so sensitive about your wrists?" Something deep in the grey eyes called out to Harry, so he sat back and pulled up his sleeves. There, one on his left and one on his right, were two almost invisible scars.

"These are why," He didn't look up, kept his eyes steady on the two signs of failure, his voice dropped to a murmur, "The starburst on my right came from when the basilisk in the Chamber our second year sent a fang through my arm. Ginny nearly died while Tom Riddle sucked her soul through a diary.

"The slash on my left was from when Wormtail, Peter Pettigrew, resurrected Voldemort. Cedric Diggory died because he was the spare. We dueled. I only survived because of the twin cores our wands share."

There was silence for several long seconds. For a horrified moment Harry thought Draco might reject him, but all of the fears died the moment Draco put two fingers under his chin and brought his face upward.

"Harry-" His voice was so tender that it nearly brought tears to Harry's eyes, "-Do you think that these are signs of your own failure? Of some sort of imperfection on your part? They're not," A smile spread across his face, "They just show how strong you really are, to go through these sorts of things and keep going strong. The same goes for every scar from your uncle, your cousin, or anyone else."

Harry stared at him, dazed and stunned beyond words. But that was before a brilliant smile spread across his face and he leaned forward to kiss Draco. It was chaste and quick, but a tingling had traveled his spine to warm his stomach by the time he pulled back.

"If you're not careful, I may end up falling in love with you, Draco Malfoy."

He had already stood up to return to his dinner by the time that those words hit the blonde and Draco's face lit up like the sun.

It was too bad that he didn't see it.

Review Responses:

ubiekins: thanks for ur review. as u can see for urself, he doesn't self-mutilate. Keep reading though!

Shania Maxwell: Yes, he really loves him. Did u doubt me? The authoress of this wonderful story? preens

random-laughter: Glad I could make your teeth hurt. Another bit of fluff will have to wait for several chapters though.

MikoGoddess: Grammar is now taken care of, I have gotten someone to beta for me. No, you were not getting this story mixed up with others. I purposely made it seem as if he was self mutilating. Thanks for enjoying! Keep Reading!

misstress of the flames: yes, i do try to update once a week.

ninjahidinginthedark66: CORRECT!!

Dezra: Glad u enjoyed it. Keep Reading!

cyiusblack: tada! an update!

animelvr4evr: Glad u liked it. Keep Reading!

Jane Austen Girl: Thanks for beta-ing!

the-dreamer4: lol, glad u seem to like this so much. Keep Reading!

Tarkemelhion: I c...what book? And nope, wrong answer.

Rainbow2007: Glad you love it. Keep Reading!

Kokou: Nope, wrong answer. Glad you like it. Keep Reading!

Caldonya: It's been fun writing this story.

Bleeding-Tears-06: Nope, wrong answer. Sry. Keep reading though!

DerangedxandxSarcastic: Sorry, no, wrong answer. And of course Draco loves him! How could you ever doubt me!

sasuke-luvs-naruto: Yes, it was brilliant, wasn't it? purposefully arrogant And Sasuke does love Naruto, he's just too scared to admit it.

JadeAshes: Yes, Draco is a big softy for Harry. It's like Hagrid is for Madam Maxine!

black lady night: yes, more. and no, wrong answer. Keep Reading!

jenna lupin-black: Unfortunately, Harry is much stronger in this story. I'm debating about having him be all insecure in the story i'm going to write after this, "Angels at Midnight". And I know the feeling all too well myself. I have two years of therapy under my belt to prove, and a dislike for group discussions of one's emotions.

Dreamweaver: Likliest is correct. Though i like ludicrous. Keep Reading!

lano1302: blushes wildly thank...thank u...i guess. And these are all stories I enjoy alot. If you ever need a few, just ask me, I might have a couple of extra jotted down on paper. Keep Reading!

Egyptianautumn: lol. Yes, u r getting greedy.

Black.Wings-Sama13: lol, yes that's the reason why. He knew that was gonna happen before he even fell in love in the first place.

DramaQueen1193: lol. Keep Reading! Thanks for ur review!

Bellatrix Black Potter: I try to update once a week. Glad you like it.

Kindali Sidera: Glad u love it! And his grandparents will play an important role later on.

MissBehavior: Yes, they will kiss again. It'll just be a few chapters away.

Evil Ball of Fluff: Yes, they are so cute. and the next update will hopefully be next week.

Akira-sama: B is almost correct. almost there, but not quite. so u get a loveable snape doll!

Anyone I forgot, I'm sorry! Thanks for reading!

_**This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_Into the Closet_  
Author: EtoileQuiRit  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: M

A/N: Any of you who might of noticed, I did change the position of the scars on his arms. Originally they were both on his right arm (it took rereading the end of the fourth book (pg 642 paragraph 4 line 4: _"He felt its point penetrate the crook of his right arm. . ."_) and the end of the second movie (he's facing the screen, the sword of Gryffindor in his right hand) to verify that). I changed it so he could have an excuse to hide both arms.

From now on my chapters might be a week or two apart, instead of every week. I'll try to keep it to two a month though.


	14. Thirteen: Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, characters or places. That honor goes to J. K. Rowling and her literary genius.

Warnings: Ultra short and Cliffie.

People, I have a beta, person, thingy, now and I might forget to delete a note they left behind. So don't worry if you see anything weird, like an out of place comment or someone saying something completely mean and horrible about me. It would be, for the most part, untrue.

I know I mentioned this last chapter, but chapters will start coming further apart. I'll try to stick to two a month though.

Midnight-Blue-Wolves's Beta: Also, it's partially my fault that the chapters are going to be slightly slower, as I'm absurdly busy and soon finals will start. Therefore, be kind to my lovely beta-ee and leave her pretty reviews despite the somewhat slower updates!

**Chapter 13:**

**Diagon Alley**

Harry looked at Sirius over the head of Madam Malkin as she got their measurements; his godfather appeared ready to die of embarrassment as Remus chatted with Draco near the doorway about their Hogwarts letters that had come yesterday, which had caused Draco to proclaim that Harry and Sirius needed a new wardrobe and drag everyone out the first chance they got.

As soon as they entered Diagon Alley they split into groups, each with a two-way mirror. The blonde had dragged Harry, Sirius, and Remus off to Gringotts before heading to Madam Malkin's, where they were now, Sirius blushing as red as a ripe tomato and Harry doing his best not to laugh at him

It wasn't working too well.

"Merlin, Sirius! You look like a tomato!"

"Harry." He said, almost growling as he glared at his godson.

"Do you have any blood left for the rest of your body?" Harry said, enjoying the uncontrollable eyebrow-twitch.

"_Harry_."

"Madam Malkin, I think that shade of red for the robes clashes with his face rather horribly! I know you haven't gotten new robes in a _long_ time, but do you need to blush _this_ much?"

"That's it! Come here!" Sirius jumped off the stool he had been forced to stand on, ignoring the proprietress' shouts of dismay, and proceeded to chase his godson around the store. Finally, a laughing Harry hid himself behind a vaguely amused looking Draco.

"Save me, Drake!" He cried melodramatically.

"Drake?" He asked incredulously, though only Harry heard.

"Yes. Drake." He smiled, before yelping when Madam Malkin came over and ducking back behind Draco.

"Go get your wardrobe, _Har_'." Harry pouted but did as Draco asked and this time he kept his mouth firmly shut. Sirius looked mildly pleased with himself.

After several hours, and numerous assaults on Harry by a highly embarrassed Sirius, they finally left Madam Malkin's.

They'd been going to Florean Fortescue's to meet the others when a loud blast filled the air, quickly followed by several shouts of pain as someone cast a Smoke Charm. Harry found himself shoved behind Draco and he frowned as the blonde pulled out his wand several milliseconds after Harry had his out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Remus shove Sirius behind him while he cast a spell around them to dissipate some of the fog.

"Draco!" Harry tried to shout out to get the blonde's attention.

"Stay behind me." Draco ordered. Harry felt his jaw fall open and was gathering his voice to protest when he heard a shrieking sort of laugh, the same cackling giggle as the one that had haunted his nightmares before Draco held him in his arms for the first time.

All he could hiss out was a venomous, "Bellatrix."

But she was too far away to get to right then, so he turned his attention to the wizard, or witch, who was preparing to cast a spell at him and Draco. He whirled around and shot out a nearly nonverbal _Stupefy_. The black figure spun backwards from the force he had placed behind it and into the drifting fog. Harry turned around in time to see Draco use the same spell on someone else.

"We have to get back to the Manor!" He shouted. Remus nodded his head.

Harry backed away from them and shook his head.

"I'll meet you there, I'll go find everyone else!" He didn't give them the chance to protests, but turned and ran in the direction of Florean Fortescue's. He thought he heard someone shout something, but he ignored it, just as easily as he ignored the sound of pounding footsteps behind him.

Everything slid through his mind like light through a filmy gauze. Once he identified something, he either neutralized it or let it pass without comment. Several times he blocked an attack or ducked without fully comprehending why until he could feel the power from a spell or curse sizzling across his skin. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he saw the origin of the streaks of light.

Harry didn't give a second thought before rushing into the eye of the hurricane of light.

Immediately, he was surrounded by a maelstrom of lights and sounds. Faintly, through the cacophonous miasma of battle, he heard his friends calling out spells from the DA, and submerged the surge of pride he felt in them as he pointed his wand toward the nearest Death Eater and _Stupefied _the dark-cloaked figure.

Then, he heard shrieking laughter to the left, and within seconds he was rolling to avoid the strident green of the Killing Curse, coming up to shoot a _Stupefy_ at Bellatrix Lestrange. She blocked it with a simple Shield Charm and he ground his teeth as he shot several spells in quick succession. None of them passed through the blue wall between them, but rebounded into the battle raging around them.

"Lookie, lookie, baby, your friends will all die and leave you lonely!" She sang out.

"Where's Voldemort?" Harry shouted to her. She laughed again, and the sound pierced his eardrums.

"Don't worry baby, he'll find you eventually!" This time it was Harry throwing up the Shield Charm to block her simple _Expelliarmus_, and then he was nimbly evading as he fired curse after curse, lost in battle until he heard someone cry out in unbearable pain to his right, distracting him for a pivotal moment.

Then Harry heard the incantation he never wanted to hear again.

"_Crucio_!" Called out gleefully as she danced on one foot momentary.

Harry curled into the fetal position on the ground, tears leaking from behind his eyes as his muscles turned into liquid fire. Distantly, he heard her calling out to someone, but he ignored it trying to avoid the pain. All that seemed to reverberate in his head was the remembrance that you had to truly hate before casting an effective _Cruciatus_. Someone's chanting met his ears, and the pain left him seconds before he looked up to see Bellatrix flying backward from a powerful _Stupefy_, and after a moment he was picked up by strong arms.

Harry struggled weakly, muttering something about Ron and Hermione that didn't sound coherent even to him. Then there was a voice, gentle even in the midst of battle, whispering in his ear, reassuring him.

"It's alright, Har', Remus and Sirius went to find your friends. Let's get you back to the Manor."

The lights disappeared, to be replaced by an impenetrable darkness.

**Review Responses:**

Rainbow2007: Glad you liked it!

Missbehavior: Lol, if you want major depression, look for my HD story, "Angels at Midnight" after this.

Bellatrix Black Potter: I'll update as soon as I can! I promise!

Shania Maxwell: hehehe. . .hermione will get funnier, trust me. and they will get together, eventually.

airyan: I worked hard to make people believe that. It's glad to know my efforts worked.

DerengedxandxSarcastic: lol. I'm glad you liked it. I hope you keep enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Cya next chapter!

animelvr4evr: Yes, he took the initiative. It wouldn't be Harry if he didn't occasionally!

misstress of the flames: I'm glad your happy reading my work.

rafocy: I'll have the next update asap, I promise.

xStarsx: Flattery will get you nowhere, except into my good graces. pretends to be all high and mighty, but breaks down laughing too easily glad you liked it.

Lugga: Glad you love it, I hope you continue loving it.

Tarkemelhion: not many people were right. I'm going to have to look up that book now. Cya next chapter!

Xylia Luna Orion: I'll update asap, I promise. I'm glad you love it.

black lady knight: as soon as possible. Cya next chapter!

Fred kissed George: Yes, he is so sweet. interesting name, btw.

Allegra: That will get explained in the next chapter that features Draco's POV. You may have to wait a few chapters though. Cya!

cyiusblack: update update update! is that all you have to say to me? pretends to be indignant thanks for the review!

the-dreamer4: I love Mind Games. And Harry will pretend all he can for as long as he can. Until Halloween, that is. :) Cya!

Shinigami-Heero: Yes, Harry Draco Cuteness. another bit like this will be a few chapters away though.

TangerineTea: Glad you love my story. And if you think Harry's reaction when he saw Sirius again was bad, wait until Dumbledore decides to meddle in his life again.

demon-girl98: Yes, he misses everything. Comes with the territory of being a Gryffindor.

SwarmOfFanGirls: Well, he's developed and matured quite a bit. I'm so proud of him!

The Laughter: Glad your hooked. I work hard to make it so.

Egyptianautumn: glad u think so :)!

dreamerswaking: evil laughter i'm not done with them quite yet. . .

cyiusblack: it has been updated.

thegreatwhitewolf: u didn't have to wait as long as i thought u might

Dark-Neko1: glad u like that. :) keep reading!

REDKITTY: glad u seem to like it. lol.

A/N: I apologize to those I missed or forgot. To those, thanks for reading!

_**This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

_Bond_  
Author: Anna Fugazzi  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: R


	15. Fourteen: So Long, Sweet Chariot

Disclaimer: I don't own them, sorry.

A/N: Sorry for taking so freakin' long to get this chapter completed and out. This one is possibly the _hardest_ chapter I will ever write.

One thing, this chapter is short. Extremely short.

This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful beta, Jane Austen Girl!

**Chapter 14:**

**So Long, Sweet Chariot**

Harry woke up what seemed like minutes later, but the drifting shadows on the sheets told him it was sometime during the night. He sat up slowly and shook his head. Only then did he allow himself to look around the room, unsure as to whether he wanted to see who was there. 

Ron was fast asleep on the chair by the bed.

Grinning, Harry reached over and shook him awake. The redhead jumped up, going immediately for his wand. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the bleary look on his best friend's face. Ron grinned halfheartedly and yawned while putting his wand away.

"You're finally awake, I see. Gave us all a bit of a scare just then." Ron said, leaning into the back of the chair.

"Sorry. I just needed to make sure that you and Hermione got away okay." Harry looked down sheepishly; he didn't see the need to tell them about Bellatrix being there.

"Well, you scared the bollocks out of Malfoy." He chuckled and Harry looked up sharply.

"What do you mean?" He asked roughly.

"I don't know the details. When we got back he was yelling something about Bellatrix." This time Ron's gaze sharpened into one of worry and Harry met it squarely, forcing away the instinctive flinch.

"She held me under _Crucio_. I don't know for how long." Harry detailed emotionlessly as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Merlin's Pants! No wonder he was biting everyone's heads off!"

"He was what?" Harry felt his green eyes widen in response, but couldn't help the reaction.

"Not only that," Ron's face gained what could only be called a smug expression, "but he has a house-elf to tell him when you wake up." Ron looked like he wanted to say more, but a cough caught their attention.

"Thank you for informing Harry of his current situation; now you may leave." They both turned to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway, eyes blazing as his fingers drummed impatiently on one folded arm. Ron didn't argue, but got up and left the room quietly.

Harry stared in shock at the look on Draco's face. He was angry, very angry. Harry couldn't understand why, but he knew enough to keep his mouth shut.

"I told you to stay with me." Draco stated fiercely. 

"So?" Harry replied just as easily, anger welling up in him. No one told him what to do. Least of all Draco _Malfoy_.

"You could have been killed." This time Malfoy growled as Harry's eyes blazed at him.

"I wasn't. What would it matter to you anyway?" Harry crossed his arms and Draco leaned forward, hands resting on the bedspread on the other side of Harry. 

"What would it matter to me? Your life matters to me!"

"It didn't seem to before." Harry shot back, the hair on the back of his neck rising.

"Well, it does now." Draco said grimly.

"Oh, well." Harry, heart breaking in his chest as he steeled himself against further harm. He had been hurt enough in his life, he didn't need the one person who he dreamed of living with doing the same. He stood up, untangling his feet quickly,and strode from the room. Draco's shock stalled him momentarily but he soon followed him, but Harry was too fast.

Hermione and Remus, who were standing on the other side of the door, wereshouting at him to stop, but the boy with raven hair didn't seem to hear their footsteps. Harry left through the front doors, saying something to the two following him before staring at Draco for a moment and saying something else, then disappearing in thin air with an almost silent pop. The bookworm and werewolf Apparated out after him, and Draco stood on the front step while Ron's hollered questions fell on deaf ears.

Alone.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as the burning amber chariot of the setting sun rode under the dizzying glow of the myriad shades of the horizon. Darkness swept through the land, and a single acid sentence rang through the confused, agonized swirling of his thoughts.

"I never want to see you again, Malfoy."

Sorry, that is why that was the hardest chapter to write, and probably the most confusing too. I will write a sequel; it will most likely be called Angels at Midnight. I don't know when I will start it. Although I might have an epilogue/preview up before too long.

**Review Responses:**

bookworm3213: Thx a lot!

cyiusblack: Thx a lot:)

Yali: Sry, seems like ur going to be getting another story instead.

thegreatwhitewolf: thx for ur loyalty:)

DerangedxandxSarcastic: Your welcome! Thx for ur review!

Rainbow2007: lol, thx for ur review!

Bellatrix Black Potter: yay! review!

MissBehavior: Don't worry, it'll change to 'Ri' eventually. Thx for ur review!

StunningSpellRock2345: sry it took longer to update than I had hoped so. :(

misstress of the flames: lol. no, fire in a house is a bad idea. i'm honored that u thought my story was good enough for a snowy day.

JackIanto: no, i don't plan to abandon this story anytime soon. thx for ur review!

iamnotafreakingGOTH: thx! interesting name, by the way.

GreenEyedCatDragon: thx. i hope u continue to enjoy my story!

tilly-tally-tease: lol, glad u think so!

JadeAshes: Hopefully Harry will mellow out. ya never know though.

Silver Tears 11: the perverted snakes will show up again, don't worry. thx for ur review!

Minako Mikoto: My goal is accomplished, another person who loves my work. :P

SwarmOfFanGirls: Tell Anna Fugazzi u like her story! not me! thx though!

mdemanatee: i'm glad u've enjoyed my story so far.

Gothic Miko Princess: fantabulous? thx, first time anyone's said that to me!

suki53: of course, attacks happen when you least want them to.

demon-girl98: lol. if u thought that was amusing, whatcha think of that chapter?

Tabycat1220: u'll have to wait some more, i'm sry!

Krysta.M: thx!

Love2Love: doing a mexican hat dance mixed with a samba and tango yay! i'm soo glad u loved my story and stuck with it. I had so much trouble writing what I did! It looks like it paid off though:) :) :) :) :D :D :D :D

Shadowcat: thx for the recommendation! i liked the story, and thx for ur review. :)

Slytherin's-Dark-Angel: lol! sry but now ur gonna have to wait some more, sry!

The Aquatic Chewbacca: I'm glad u love my story. My hard work paid off!

inuyoukai(harry): thx.

Knyteshade: SRY for leaving u here!

Daenerys Malfoy: yay! new fan! hershey's chocolate for me! thx for ur review!

Atomic Shadow Kitten: yay! i loved ur story btw!

mattitudeandrkofollower: glad u think so, thx for ur review!

dude: jumping up and downYAYY! U LIKE ME U REALLY LIKE ME!

Alright, this time I have two recommendations. Neither are finished, or of the greatest writing, but give them a chance, they're really good.

_**One Of This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

Harry Catter and the Slvav Limalfoys  
Author: Jewel Queen  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: T

_**The Other Of This Week's Recommendation Goes To:**_

The Heart Of a Darslave

Author: Atomic Shadow Kitten  
Pairing: Harry/Draco  
Rating: T

Alright, I have a challenge for all my readers! The first chapter of the sequel will be dedicated to whoever wins, doesn't sound like much, I know, but it should be fun.

CHALLENGE FIC!

Must include: Harry, Draco, Fawkes, tutoring, and one of Snape's potions.

Must be: At least 400 words long, but no more than 2500, I will check for this! this only counts for actual story content, nothing else.

The judges board(myself and a couple of friends(my beta if i can talk them into it)) will score based on: Writing, quality, creativity, wordlength and points will be deducted if you went over or under the limited amount.

Send it to: the email me link in my profile) or send me the web-address either in a review or in an email.

DEADLINE: By April 15. I will accept late ones, as long as the new story is not up late.

If I can figure out how to, I want to create a website for my stories and others, without all the limitations here. I will put these up there, with your permission, if I can.

THX! AND HAPPY READING!


	16. Epilogue:Preview

Disclaimer: I don't own them, sorry.

Shorter than last chap, I know, but I needed to get this out so I can work on the next story.

**Epilogue**

"What do you mean his mood changed drastically?!"

Draco sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as Weasley ranted on.

"His mood changed suddenly and without warning. Next thing I know he's running off down the hall and out the front gate."

"You've already said that!" Weasley slammed his front hands on the desk between them and Draco growled at him. Luckily, Sirius walked into the room at that moment and they both turned to him, hope gleaming brightly in the Weasley's, but only dimly in his own greyish silver orbs.

Sirius shook his head despondently. "They aren't answering their mirror."

They all looked as the floor for several long minutes. As everyone else looked outward, Draco looked inward, towards the swirling vortex of emotions in his breast. Harry's waking and subsequent disappearance had happened so quickly and unpredictably that he was still a mess of confusion, worry, and depression. Harry's glowing green eyes back in Diagon Alley before it had all started had haunted him as he had tried to sleep. Inevitably all of his attempts had failed. Now he sat here, all of his hopes for the future scattered in metaphorical ashes in the wasteland of his soul. What had gone wrong? Did every Malfoy discover that only darkness and loneliness awaited them throughout their lives?

His head shot up as a chuckling sort of hiss sounded in his ear, and he came face to face with the carving of the emerald snake on the arm of the chair. It chuckled/hissed again and Draco glanced at Black and Weasley to see them watching him with slight awe in their eyes. He looked back at the snake while he calmed himself with the knowledge that nothing in the mansion could possibly harm a Malfoy heir.

"You love the boy." It didn't come out as a question. The snake hissed it sibilantly in clear English. Draco's eyes widened as he watched it; he didn't bother looking at the other two. He knew that only he could understand the serpent. "Finally, a Malfoy has found love. Perhaps for good? Who knows? I certainly do not."

By now it had wound itself around his neck, and it licked at his ear. Something niggled at the back of his mind, something his father might have told him about this particular carving. Perhaps it his mother who had told him. Either way, Draco couldn't remember what it was, though it seemed significant. He listened closely to this emblem of Slytherin.

"You must find the boy, or be irredeemable yourself. Do not worry, you will find him. Just follow your heart. Not that that's easy for a Malfoy - only Scorpius Malfoy ever dared." With that he became lifeless, just a snake-shaped chain around his neck.

Draco stood up and clapped for a House Elf.

**Preview of Chapter One of Sequel**

"What do you mean, search for them?"

"A what bite?"

"We need wolfsbane potion, before the next full moon."

Draco stood on the doorstep of Hogwarts, Weasley and Black standing behind him. They had to speak to Dumbledore and tell him that they would not be able to attend their seventh year, and that two of his professors would be absent.

Alright, no responses this time, or recommendation. Please review though!


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